Disarranged and Misfitted
by BinxedPlz
Summary: Ichigo's never met Ryou. Ryou's never met Ichigo. But apparently they're about to get married. Or so that's what was arranged by their parents. Through the non-stop bickering can they learn to love each other? Or will their marriage end in disaster? RXI
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Ichigo's never met Ryou. Ryou's never met Ichigo. But apparently they're about to get married. Or so that's what was made as a deal by their parents. Through their none stop bickering and fighting can they finally learn to love each other? Or will their wedding and marriage end in disaster? RXI

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ichigo's POV..._

I couldn't believe the horrible cliché atmosphere that had set up the scene to driving towards the huge gated mansion in which I was to live the rest of my life in. Gray sky's accompanied by a light drizzle made it seem like driving up to the home, I mean, _castle_ of the man I was supposed to marry was the worst thing to ever happen in my life. I wouldn't have put marrying a complete stranger in the 'worst moment in life' category but it defiantly made the top ten.

The mansion, Ryou's mansion, my fiancé's mansion, stood brooding on the top of a very large hill in a rural, small town area. But as the old taxi slowly began to putt up the road of the hill and we rose higher and higher into the mountain area, I could see everything for miles, including the large city we had passed through. I sat with my legs folded up on the seat, my body slouching as I rested my head against the door of the taxi, staring out the window at the view beneath.

In all honesty, I wasn't surprised when my parents told me to sit down and talk with them those few months earlier. I could see in their eyes after I had walked home from school that they had something important to tell me. Mentally, I had prepared my self for the worse, assuming they would be telling me that we would be moving or someone in our family had passed away. And when they dropped the news, I think my reaction had to be as appropriate as it got.

"What! You've got to be joking me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"We're not forcing you into this Ichigo but we strongly recommend it. It would be for the best considering this is something we've arranged for you since before you were born." Mom explained, her reassuring smile faltering.

I shook my head, "I can't believe this..." I trailed off as I thought. Even though they had said it was up to me to go through with the marriage, I still felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard spot.

"He's a young, wealthy man, Ichigo," My father added in, "Both of his parents are deceased and they left everything to him. Although his parents are both dead, he also has a choice and he's chosen to go along with the marriage if you choose to also."

That didn't take anymore pressure off the situation. I was ready to have myself a meltdown and the only reason I hadn't yet, was the logical thought that I had just turned eighteen and should act like an adult. It didn't stop the tears coming from my eyes though and after a few seconds, I began to bawl. Marrying a complete stranger, leaving my friends and family, taking on a completely different life along with the baggage from his life was a lot to take in. Especially with your parents totally encouraging it.

Eventually I felt my mom's arms wrap around my shoulders in an embrace.

"You don't have to do this Ichigo," she cooed, "like we said, this is a _choice_. An adult choice that someone at your age will have to make at some point." I looked up at her and she smiled a smile that didn't falter.

"It's a big responsibility and," she whispered quietly in my ear, "I don't know if I can watch my baby girl grow up and leave just like that."

When the cab came to a stop, I looked up through the front window at the huge black gates that sat guarding the mansion. I felt my mouth drop at the sight of the gates and the mansion and the grass and gardens and everything. Leaning closer between the driver and passenger seats to get a better look, I asked dumbfounded, "This is it?"

The driver ignored my question and rolled down his window, leaning out towards a small speaker that sat rooted in the ground a few feet from the gates. "I'm here with Miss Momomiya," he said, squinting at the light drizzle that brushed his face.

The speaker made a hissing static sound in response then said, "One moment please."

The driver leaned back into the car and rolled up the window. Glancing at me through the rear view mirror he smiled, "This is it."

The massive iron gates creaked and groaned as they opened inwardly. The cab drove slowly along the path to the front of the-what looked like- fourteen story mansion. I stared out the window, practically pressing my nose against the glass to look at the giganticness of the house I would be living in.

"This is outrageous," I mumbled.

"Tell me about it," The driver replied as his rubbed the back of his bald head, hidden underneath a green plaid, golf cap, "a house this big must take forever to find a bathroom in."

I giggled and ran my fingers through my thick, wavy red hair, "I hope this guy is alright, I don't know if an arranged marriage to a complete jerk will work out at all. I doubt I could ever stay with him."

The cab came to a stop at the front of a small set of stairs that led to two wooden front doors. A man with an umbrella stood waiting on the steps, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Ah, well here's someone now," The driver mumbled quietly with a nod. I grinned in response and the man with the umbrella opened the door to the cab. Holding out his hand, he helped me from the car and held the umbrella over my head.

"Miss Momomiya! How nice to finally see you! How was the trip? Not too horribly long I hope," greeted the man as he smiled with pursed lips. I blinked a few times at the friendliness of the stranger and smiled. He had long brown hair, tied back with a red ribbon, and soft gray eyes with a twinkle in it that reminded me of Santa Clause.

_"Not Mister Shirogane though,"_ I thought I as I finished examining my greeter. The trunk of the cab popped as it opened and right away the man was helping my driver unload the few bags I had brought along with. I was told that the rest of my stuff would be moved in later in the month, which didn't bother me too much.

After my three suitcases were at the front of the doors and the cab driver was paid, I waved goodbye and pocketed the business card he had handed me, figuring it might come in handy some time.

"Well," Started my greeter man as I continued to watch the cab drive through the gates, "are you ready to see your new home?"

Guessing it was too late to hail the cab driver and get back in the car and go straight back home, I inhaled nervously and nodded, "Yeah," I smiled, "I'm ready."

My parents left me alone after the conversation. I had a while to decide what my choice was. Of course my first reaction was, "no, absolutely not." It took hours and days and weeks of dwelling on the matter to have my thoughts begin to sway a little bit. My friends were typical friends and thought it was the most bittersweet decision of all.

"Getting to marry a rich, handsome man Ichigo, is like, the most amazingly romantic story ever," squealed my friends as we sat at our lunch table a few days after I had told them the story.

"Yeah but then we wont get to see Ichigo anymore," Seconded another from our group.

"I'd come visit everyone," I smiled reassuringly. It was the first time I was actually positive about the whole arranged marriage situation.

"Then you should do it! Go get married Ichigo," my friends encouraged, "and bring us back some of his friends."

By the time my opinions had changed and I felt better about marrying Ryou Shirogane, I had begun to think of the positives. Being financially stable, knowing that I'd be able to raise a family in a good home, not having to worry about money for college and school or depending on my parents any longer were the reasons I had decided to go along with the marriage. I faltered now and then, not knowing if the stranger I was going to marry was someone I could fall in love with and if I'd ever be happy but I figured, I'd have to wait and see.

And as I told my parents my decision, I reminded myself that what I was doing was making the choice to go and be with Mr. Ryou Shirogane. It was a big choice and took a long time to think over but as my parents smiled with happiness and approval and reassurance that the man I would be with would be good to me, I knew the decision I had made was right.

"It's nice to meet you too, Miste_eeer...?_" I stared at the young man with the brown hair and bright eyes as he stood in mid step up the flight of stairs that would lead to my room.

He chuckled and set down my bags, "Oh how rude of me," he smiled and bowed, "Keiichiro Akasaka at your service."

I smiled, "Keiichiro Akasaka?"

"Mmmhmm," He hummed and continued to walk up the white and gold and black flaked marble stairs, "But you can call me, _Keiichiro._" he said in a singsong voice. I giggled quietly, following up behind him with a suitcase in tow.

When we reached my room, I was pleasantly surprised how sunny and welcoming it was. Big windows that practically reached the ceiling were laced with white curtains and gave a spectacular view of the backyard where trees and flowers of all sorts bloomed near a small man-made lake and rock fountain. It was like I was looking at a pamphlet for a vacation resort.

A king sized bed with a mahogany bed frame held up a white decorative canopy, was planted right in the middle of the room, the head resting against the wall. Cream colored sheets and mountains of pillows piled on top of the bed. A matching mahogany dresser stood across from the bed with a few empty picture frames on top. One blue leather tub chair was placed caddy corner from the wall to the left of my bed while a matching tub couch was placed on the opposite side of the room near the windows and bathroom entrance.

The walls were painted a very faint pink with thin white vertical stripes. The carpet was beige and screamed 'brand new'. I practically had to stop myself from spinning as I gazed around the adorable room. Keiichiro opened the door to the bathroom and flicked on the lights, showing the double sink and cast iron claw footed bathtub. This I couldn't stop myself from squealing at.

"This room is too adorable," I laughed at and sighed happily, "it's like a dream. Everything is so bright and welcoming!"

Keiichiro laughed with me and added in, "It was specially designed for the bride to be."

My laughing faded as I was brought back to the reality on why I was here. A new cage of butterflies was let loose in my stomach and slowly I walked around the room, trailing my fingers across everything. Taking the lacy white curtains in my hands I smiled, "When do I meet Mister Shirogane?"

Keiichiro rocked up on the balls of his feet and grinned, "Soon. Probably around dinner. But I bet you're tired from your long trip so you'll probably want to clean up and unpack and get ready before than. So I'll just," he started towards the door, "leave you to your business."

"Oh," I smiled, "Are you sure? I don't mind the company."

Keiichiro grinned and nodded, "I have to go make sure that our cook is getting everything ready for dinner. But I'll be back after I'm done." he winked and shut the door.

I shifted from one foot to the other and pulled at the hem of my long sleeved beige seater. Staring at the three suitcases, I mumbled to myself, "I don't want to unpack."

Sighing an _'oh well' _sort of sigh, I shrugged and grabbed one of the suitcases. At the foot of my bed sat a small, backless, blue chaise, which I sat my suitcase on. I opened it slowly and began to take out the components within. I carefully walked a stack of shirts to the dresser and opened the top drawer.

"Huh?" I questioned as I looked and noticed there were already a few shirts place neatly inside. I sat my shirts on top of the dresser and pulled one out from the drawer. Holding it up to my chest, I took note that it was my size. _"Maybe someone was staying in this room before?"_ I wondered. It was a nice shirt and as I looked at the other two, I noticed they were both equally as nice.

"Well whoever she was, she had a great taste in clothes," I laughed and took the shirts out, "I'll just leave them out and tell Keiichiro later that someone left their shirts in here."

I grabbed my arm full of shirts and started packing them into the drawer. I returned to my suitcase and grabbing more articles of clothing, moved down to the second drawer. Opening it, I frowned, again there were more clothes. This time just two pairs of jeans but it made me curious why someone had left so many articles laying around. Then I stopped.

_"This room was specially designed for the bride to be,"_ echoed Keiichiro's words in my head. So maybe nobody had stayed in the room and left their clothes.

"Maybe this is for me?" I asked, taking out the jeans. They were-again-my size.

Curious to know, I decided to hunt down Keiichiro and ask if they were. I opened my door and slowly stepped from the room, "Uhh," I looked both ways down the hall. Which way was it to the kitchen? I decided to start my search back at the marble staircase by the entrance to the mansion. Walking quickly down the hall, I took a quick right and stepped into the area where the marble staircase began its wide spiral down to the entrance. I slid my hand onto black wooden railing of the stairs and descended quickly down the steps, hopping every other one. Gaining some speed, I bounded down too quickly and at the bottom, took a quick right and spun right into something hard.

There was a loud, "Oof!" and taking a step back, I realized I had bumped into a some_one_. A someone with bright blue eyes and soft blond hair. He looked familiar, I thought as I stood staring. But he didn't look happy and stared back with a scowl on his face.

"Oh!" I remembered I was the one who had bumped into him, "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, "I came down the stairs too quickly." I finished with an apologetic smile.

He rolled his eyes and pushed passed me, "Watch where you're going," he mumbled and took hold of the railing, running up the stairs.

I had to stop for a minute to process the answer. _"What. The. Hell. Was. That?" _I thought and watched the young man run up the stairs.

"What the hell!" I shouted up at the young man and took back up the marble stairs. He paused mid step to look back at me then waited so I could catch up, "Excuse me?" He asked, cocking a dark blond eyebrow.

"You're such a jerk," I hissed, "How dare you say, 'watch where you're going' when it was a simple mistake."

He looked taken aback for a moment then glared and shot back, "Watch where you're going! It means, watch out lady, you're going to knock someone over." He looked away and shook his head like he was talking to an idiot.

I narrowed my eyes, "I can't believe you! It was an accident and your reaction is, 'I have to be a big asshole to someone I don't even know'."

Mister Blond Hair-Blue Eyes guy looked like he was going to bite my head off after that but the sound of footsteps running up the stairs stopped us. Keiichiro jogged up next to us and out of breath, managed to chuckle. With his fists on his hips, he bellowed out a loud laugh then said, "Now children, what seems to be the ruckus?"

"Nothing." Blondy replied and turned away, starting to walk back up the stairs. I was about to have myself a little bit of a whiny baby fit but luckily Keiichiro grabbed hold of the annoying young man and steered him back my way. The guy rolled his eyes again and crossed his long arms in annoyance.

"I believe you two have gotten off on the wrong foot," Keiichiro began with a soft grin.

"Make it her feet running down the damn staircase," mumbled Blondy.

Keiichiro ignored him and went on, "So let's start over again. Take each other's right hands." he commanded. I held out mine and the young man held out his, grasping mine. Surprisingly he held my hand softly.

"Now say, 'Ichigo Momomiya, I apologize.'" Keiichiro told the young man.

The young man looked up and said, "I apologize, Ichigo Momomiya." His eyes kind of had a bit of a surprised look hidden behind them and I was curious why all of a sudden he acted different.

"Ichigo, you say, 'I apologize, Ryou Shirogane.'" Keiichiro smiled.

I couldn't stop myself when my mouth dropped open. I stared at the man holding my hand, looking me straight in the eye, and knew I had recognized him from somewhere.

It was only a side picture from when Ryou was younger that my parents had handed me after I had made my decision. They told me, 'this is the man you will be marrying.'

Staring at Ryou, I swallowed and said, "I apologize, Ryou Shirogane."

_My fiancé._

_...to be continued..._

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Authors note: Hello everyone and welcome to Disarranged And Misfitted. I want to start off by saying thank you if you've made it this far. I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I just want to introduce myself. I'm Kristen, this is not one of my first stories, I've actually been on this website since 2005 but have decided to make a new account.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the first chapter to this story. I want to point out-since this has come up in a story of mine before- that I did not take the time to sit there and browse through hundreds of pages of Tokyo Mew Mew stories to see if there is any story similar or if the story has been done before. I do not care if there is a similar plot. :/ Sorry. There are tons of stories in book stores with similar plots and no one emails the author to tell them that they've stolen an idea. If there is a similar plot, oh well, I hope mine is just as good as the other author's. I hope that doesn't stop someone from reading my story however. I love to know that people are enjoying what I've written. If there are any concerns with the story, feel free to email me or write in a review. :] Thank you.

Enjoy Disarranged and Misfitted!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ryou's POV..._

I hated to eat at the dining room table. I couldn't remember the last time I had even sat down in the dining room itself, let alone eat in there. The light from the crystal chandelier was too dim, the flickering candles on the table did nothing, the food was food, and the only thing different was the distasteful, irritating fiancé of mine that sat straight across from me, making the entire experience unpleasant. Keiichiro sat at the end of the table, the main course chicken blocking his face as it laid on a tall, white pedestal.

Annoyed, I asked, "Why is that thing on a pedestal?"

"The chicken?" Keiichiro replied.

"Yes," I speared a steamed carrot from my plate with a fork, glancing at Ichigo as I did so. She looked as uncomfortable as I felt and slumped down in her chair, pushing a slice of chicken to the side.

"It's to make it look fancy," Answered Keiichiro, his hands moving as he sliced his food.

I stood up from the table, "Well remind me to tell the cook that the food needs to be edible, not placed on a pedestal like a sculpture," I tossed my napkin on the plate, "I'm finished."

"Ryou you haven't even finished your chicken," Keiichiro pointed out.

I ignored him and left the dining room, not exactly as hungry as I probably should have felt. Since the day I found out the news of my arranged marriage, I hadn't exactly been in the most chipper of all moods.

"It's a choice," Keiichiro stated, the once white paper now beige with age had words written from my parents before they died about an agreement they had made years before I was born with a family they had met and been friends with for a very long time. However, I had never met or heard or even known of these people while my parents were alive and it was never once discussed with me the situation that was at hand. Keiichiro folded the paper in his hands. I couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth. After all the years of knowing, now was the time to tell me that I had some arranged fiancé, miles away from my house?

"Of course it's a choice," I grabbed the paper from his hands and slipped it into the waste basket next to my desk, "It's a choice because I'm an adult and don't have to go through with it, which I'm not going to. I don't need a wife to weigh me down. I have a life and dream I'm working on at the moment and a family is not a priority."

"We're not a family?" Keiichiro asked with a smile.

"Don't be cheek with me," I snorted, "you know what I mean"

He shrugged and was silent for a moment, giving me the opportunity to turn back to my work on the computer. After a few seconds and he hadn't moved from where he stood next to my desk, I glanced up at him.

He grinned again and folded his hands behind his back, "There is a reason why I have brought this to your attention Ryou."

I returned my attention back to my computer and as I typed, asked, "What now?"

He coughed and pulled another white folded piece of paper from his back, holding it out to me. I looked up at him and he had a serious expression on his face, "You might want to reconsider that marriage. This is a letter from your attorney. Turns out, you may not get to keep your parents fortune."

I marched into my study, shutting the glass, wooden framed doors then pulled the curtains that covered the glass. Why there were glass doors, I never knew. But one thing I did know was that I was making the right step to keeping my inheritance and that was inviting Momomiya to stay in the mansion. I didn't have a choice at the moment but I was one step closer and that was all that mattered. I walked to my desk, running my hand over my face. Twenty-two years old with my life laid out in front of me and a stupid arranged marriage is the only barrier in my way.

If I had know my parents were serious about the arranged marriage to the point that in their will they'd _force_ me to immediately find a wife, I would've started dating years ago. But it was never a priority. It was never something I was exactly interested in. My career and my future were my main interests and priority and now all of a sudden, that had to change. I opened the curtains to the window outside and looked out. It was getting late. And I could hear the drizzle from earlier start to grow into a heavy rain.

"Fantastic," I groaned. There were plans and things to do for tomorrow and with the rain, it was just going to make it more difficult to get it all done. I sat down in the large, burgundy leather chair. Rubbing my chin with one hand and tapping my fingers on the arm of the chair with the other, I started to calculate my plans for tomorrow before I took out my planner to flip through it.

"Call the company president...make arrangements to talk to miss Aizawa...meeting with the board..." I listed off as I searched for my planner. Opening a drawer to my desk, I found my planner and opened it to the date. Running my finger over the lists of things do to in the morning, I stopped at a note that I hadn't made myself.

"_Make arrangements with Ichigo to look for wedding planner_? What?" I narrowed my eyes, taking note that it was Keiichiro's writing. I shut the planner and stood up from my desk, ready to hunt down my so-called 'best friend'.

When I found him, he was in the overly large the living room, reading a book near a fire he probably prepared himself. The vintage chair he sat on squealed as he moved, his fingers slickly turning a page in his book, his reading glasses at the tip of his nose. I cleared my throat and he looked up, the familiar smile immediately breaking out across his face.

"Ah, good evening Ryou," he motioned towards an equally vintage looking couch near his chair. I had given him the permission to decorate most of the rooms in the house. Apparently the living room was where he went through a 30's phase. I shook my head and held up my planner, "What's this?" I asked.

"Your planner," he answered as he took of his glasses and shut his book.

I nodded and flipped to the page with tomorrows plans while Keiichiro watched patiently. When I found it I asked, "Why does it say that I have to make arrangements with Momomiya to look for a wedding planner?"

"Because you're going to need one unless you plan on making up this wedding on your own," Keiichiro pointed at me with his glasses.

"I don't want anything to do with planning this wedding Keiichiro," I said icily, "If you want it to be spectacular, fine. For all I care, we could sign the papers and be done with it. Then I could ship her back off to her parents." I turned around and began to leave the room.

"So you're saying then that I can plan the wedding with Ichigo?" My friend asked.

I shrugged, holding my hands up in the air, "Do what you want. I don't care."

"You're going to regr_eeeet_ it," he sang.

This made me stop in my tracks. Why, of all things, would I regret planning a wedding with a girl I barely knew, didn't like, and had to marry? I wouldn't. That's the thing. I wouldn't have regretted it at all. What I had said to Keiichiro was true. After we were officially "married", I planned to never speak to the girl again. I planned to start where I left off at and continue my work. I planned to continue my work even _through _the wedding and marriage. The wedding, the girl, the marriage were things I had no concern for, and I would've bet anything that Momomiya felt the same way. Why would she feel any different than I had?

Just like me, the girl was forced into the marriage. So we supposedly had a "choice" but we both knew somehow we were going to be sucked into it. Getting married at this age? Why? We weren't in love. We had no real motivation to actually go through with it except for the facts that our parents were somehow involved. I knew her parents were incredibly ecstatic to know they could finally ship their daughter off to live with a wealthy young man. I was only in it because my parents, may they rest in peace, basically even from their graves were forcing me to do it. As ghosts, they were still trying to run my life. Almost ten years after their death, they were making me do things I didn't want to do.

But it didn't matter. What the will said was what I had to go through. At the age of twenty two, I was to have a wife and family in order to keep my inheritance.

"You're fuckin' kidding me right?" I tore the attorney's letter from Keiichiro's hands. I was standing now, practically pacing my study as I read the printed words on the white sheet of paper. I read the letter once, then twice, and then a third time before the words actually set in and registered.

"I am to have found a partner and gone through a legal unionization or marriage before the ending of the year, December thirty-first in order to keep my inheritance and estate?" I spat out the question, the paper falling victim to my hands as I crumpled it into a ball.

"Considering you don't have a girlfriend or ever really had one," Keiichiro began as took a glass bottle of old brandy down from a shelf on the wall, "I thought that this would be a good time to bring out the letter your parents had written to you about the arranged marriage. And because I doubt you'll find a woman to marry you based on your looks and charms," I thought I saw him roll his eyes but I ignored it, "and I also doubt you'll find a woman who actually reaches your standards, I figured the best way to approach this situation is to call in what your parents are obviously wanting you to do."

"Marry a girl I've never met before," I looked at Keiichiro as he poured the brandy into a clear glass. He grinned and nodded, "Preciously."

"You're suggesting I actually go through with this arrangement?" I asked.

"I'm not just suggesting it," he bent down and took the old folded letter from my parents from the waste basket and held it out to me, "I'm _telling_ you to do it."

He handed me the cup of brandy and I took, along with the letter. My best friend was a smart, smart man. To save my inheritance, my estate I had spent years working to build up, and my integrity I was going to marry someone I never even knew.

When I awoke the next morning, the light from my bedroom window was shining brightly on my face. I blocked out the sun with my arm and sighed. _"Why hadn't I shut the curtains before I went to sleep last night?" _I questioned my stupidity and rolled over on my side to check the alarm clock. It was early. Too early. But now I was awake and there was no way I was going to get back to sleep. I had a hard time getting to sleep as it was.

Rolling out of bed, I slipped on a pair of slippers and made my way down to the kitchen. Scratching my shirtless chest, I yawned loudly and made my entrance into the kitchen. Much to my surprise, I wasn't the only one up so early.

"Mornin'," the red head greeted with a mouthful of cereal. She sat on top of the counter near the sink, her legs swinging carelessly as she munched on breakfast foods. I cocked an eyebrow, "Good morning?"

I took down a mug from a cabinet and filled it with the coffee that had just finished brewing. I glanced back over at Momomiya and noticed what she was wearing. A tight pink tank top and loose, faded plaid shorts that looked too big even for me. Her hair was pulled up and a bright yellow sweatband was wrapped around her head. Taking my coffee in my hands, I leaned against the counter and asked, "What's with the headband?"

She paused a moment from chewing her cereal and looked at the ceiling as she thought. "Mmmm," she finally hummed and shrugged, "I don't know. I always wear it. It keeps the hair out of my eyes."

"Your hair is already pulled up," I pointed out. She shrugged again in response and took another big bite of cereal. When did I start buying cereal?

"Would you...like some coffee?" I asked, pointing my thumb over my shoulder at the coffee machine. She sat down her bowl of what looked like milk now and said, "Sure," with a smile I had yet to see on her. I took another mug from the cabinet and filled it with the fresh coffee. She took it in one hand but didn't drink it. Instead she continued to hold it while carefully reaching for her bowl of cereal sugar milk in her other hand. Once she was holding both liquids, she slowly poured the milk into her coffee. This flabbergasted me.

She stirred the now light brown coffee with her forefinger, licked her finger after she was done, and took a long drink of the caffeine sugar mix. I stood watching, my mouth agape at the girl. _"What the hell was that?"_ I thought. I always drank my coffee black. It was strongest that way in my opinion. And I knew people added creamer and sugar sometimes. Keiichiro always added enough creamer until the coffee was almost white. But never had I seen someone add cereal milk to their coffee.

Momomiya sat the mug down on the counter and stretched her arms in the air, "That was delicious," she said to no one in particular and laughed. She hopped down from the counter and sat her cereal bowl in her sink. She leaned against the counter, her arms resting on the edge, her leg bent outwards as she chugged the rest of the coffee down. This also stunned me.

Momomiya hiccuped, rinsed out her dishes, gave a little wave, and left. As she left, Keiichiro walked in, watching her with a grin as they passed each other, "Mornin'," they greeted and she was gone, probably running up the stairs, two steps at a time.

"O_oooh!_" Keiichiro laughed when he saw me standing in the kitchen, "Were you two having breakfast together?" he batted his eyelashes in a stupid attempt to mock me. I continued to stare at the exit of the kitchen where the girl had left through.

"She drinks coffee with cereal milk and can chug it down in less than three seconds," I stated. Keiichiro had his glasses on, a blue robe covering up most of his body like an old man. He smiled, "You know, she is something. I've only known her for less than a day and I can see that."

He pulled the blinds on the window in the kitchen and squinted at the sky, "Looks like it started to clear up over night. Good thing too. Ichigo and I are going to go a store that specializes in weddings to start looking at invitations. Then to an agency where I know someone who's going to pull some stings on getting a perfect wedding planner," he smiled, "sure you wouldn't care to join us?"

I narrowed my eyes and nodded, "I'm sure."

He shrugged, "We're leaving around three if you care to join us."

"I don't care," I answered, setting down my coffee mug then leaving the kitchen. _"And I'm not going to care ever." _

Author's note: Oooh looks like a relationship is starting to develop. Anyways, thank you my...single reviewer. I appreciate the feedback. Uh, well see you guys next chapter.

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	3. Chapter 3

...Ichigo's POV...

When learning more about someone, you tend to notice the little things. Like if they like one specific thing, they'll smile and point out the finer details. Or if they hate something, they'll bite their lower lip and wrinkle their nose. Or if something is just way over the top, they'll roll their eyes and remark quietly, "Yeah right." Well with Keiichiro, I never noticed one of these little things. He was a very mellow man with a subtle sense of humor that made things easy and welcoming. Things like, picking out wedding invitations.

I gently picked up the example card with a soft yellow ribbon and the curly cursive words printed down the front that sat next to a stack of other example cards. I sighed and sat it down. _"This is embarrassing,"_ I thought and glanced around the room. Ladies with their fiancé's and best friends and mother's were walking around the room, making decisions and preparing for their weddings. Weddings that they had spent probably months, maybe even more than that, planning. I was jumping right into my arranged marriage with beginning at wedding invites.

I had been at the wedding store a majority of the afternoon with Keiichiro and I had to admit, as embarrassing as it was, it was quite entertaining. Keiichiro had his own way of showing when he liked something and when he hated it. Usually he didn't make eye contact and would grin guiltily if he hated one thing. And if he'd like it, he'd laugh and say, "Perfect!" It was easy and fun with my new friend.

"Find anything you like?" Keiichiro asked from behind me. I turned around, wrinkled my nose, and shook my head, "No. Not at all.. Keiichiro, I think it's best if we start off getting a wedding planner first. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Keiichiro smiled, "This _is_ where we're going to find our wedding planner." he glanced at a woman behind the front counter of the store. I blinked, not exactly understanding where he was going with it. So I hummed and asked, "Who is she?"

He pressed his hand against the small of my back and eased me forward as we began to walk towards the woman, "She is a woman," he began quietly, "who is going to pull some strings for us, so that we'll have the most amazingly planned wedding ever."

"Amazingly?" I asked and he nodded and said, "Amazingly."

...When Keiichiro first told me the plans yesterday of meeting with a wedding planner, I was skeptical. We sat at the table after Ryou had left and gradually the room began to settle with a quietness that was almost enjoyable. The first dinner with my arranged fiancé was practically murder. I could see it on Ryou's face whenever he glanced up that he wasn't exactly enjoying himself either. He looked like he was ready to throw dishes instead of eat off them.

When he marched off, Keiichiro glanced at me from behind the chicken pedestal and said, "Ignore him. He's just nervous to eat dinner with you."

I highly doubted his words but nodded, popping a steamed carrot into my mouth. Keiichiro smiled and stood up from the table as well, but he didn't leave like Ryou and instead took one of the many seats next to me. He pulled out a small calender from his back pocket and said, "So I've decided that tomorrow we are to look for a wedding planner."

"Huh?" I eyed him, "Why so soon?"

"All the best weddings have some preparation put into them," he grinned, "I figured that we should set the date in late November."

"Is that what Ryou wants?" I asked, curious why my fiancé had no input whatsoever. Keiichiro chuckled, "Yes. I'm sure he'll want it around then."

But to me, even as the night went on, I wasn't so sure what Ryou wanted. Ryou seemed reluctant to marry anyone and my suspicions were answered when I overheard Keiichiro and him talking...

We stopped at the desk behind the woman and Keiichiro loudly cleared his throat. The tall, young, woman with a sharp blond pixie cut and red thick framed glasses turned around and eyed us from behind the counter, "May I help..." she paused and her unwelcoming expression softened and her bright red painted lips curled slightly at the sight of Keiichiro.

"Well, well if it isn't my archenemy in the flesh," she walked from around the counter and up to us, her strut bouncy and loud as her black high heels clicked against the tiled ground, "What do you want?" she crossed her long arms and shifted her weight to one leg.

Keiichiro wrapped his arm around my shoulder and smiled, "We're getting married."

I looked up at him, "No we're not."

"Well I'm helping to plan it," he smiled, "_but_ I need a professional planner."

"Professional?" The woman snorted.

"And you're the professional we're looking for," Keiichiro added.

"You're perfectly capable of planning this wedding on your own," the woman checked the silver watch around her wrist, "you're the one who got the best ratings, best awards, even voted to plan weddings for celebrities. I don't know why you'd need my help at all."

I looked up at my companion. Ratings? Awards? Even voted to plan celebrity weddings? Did wedding planners even get ratings? I was astounded. Keiichiro was a famous wedding planner? I would have never even guessed.

"I'm not into that business anymore, you know that," Keiichiro chuckled, "Besides, you owe me one. Remember?"

The woman's expression turned vicious and she glowered with a fiery glint in her eye that made me afraid to ever think of pissing her off.

"You promised to never speak of that again," she hissed.

"You promised that you were indebted to me. It's just this wedding. Please?" Keiichiro smiled, "I can't do it without you."

The woman was silent for a moment and her nostrils flared as she thought it over, continuing to play with the watch on her wrist. After a minute, she glanced around then returned her attention to us, anger still glinting in her eye, "Fine! But then the deal is over. I've repaid my debt." she eyed me up and down then said, "You know my number. Now leave my store."

"Thanks Elsa," Keiichiro smiled and led me out the door. Once outside he said, "Wow, that was easier than I thought."

I stared at Keiichiro, an eyebrow cocked, then rolled my eyes and asked, "what's next?"

Back at home Keiichiro had stacks and stacks and stacks of paper on the table of the entertainment room. I sat in a clear, swinging bubble chair, with my legs crossed and hair pulled up as Keiichiro pulled down a movie screen on the wall. He swiped his hands, turned on a projector, and handed me a sheet from the first stack of papers. I read the title on the paper, "Black and White themed wedding."

I glanced up at Keiichiro, "What is this?" I was a little surprised after we had returned from our extravaganza rendezvous and only ten minutes after I had entered my room to lay down for a minute, Keiichiro was back in, beckoning me to follow him to the entertainment room. I had planned to call my parents and talk to them about a few things but I found myself back in the grasps of one of Keiichiro's schemes.

"Wedding ideas," Keiichiro answered and clicked a button, making a picture of a woman in a white dress and black swirls appear on the screen.

I almost stood up and walked from the room.

"Keiichiro this is ridiculous," I said grumpily, "I don't want a themed wedding."

He clicked the button again and took the sheet from my hand, "Fine we'll try another." he mumbled.

"Traditional Japanese wedding?" I sighed, "Oh please," the swing wobbled as I leaned back against it, "can I get some input from Ryou?"

Keiichiro 'pfft'ed and made a foo-foo hand gesture, "He's not going to care about this. You know men." then he chuckled and said, "I would know. I am one."

I narrowed my eyes and managed to throw on the best 'annoyed' expression I had. Keiichiro ignored it and went on, "Whatever you want, I'm positive Ryou will be happy and pleasantly content with." He finished with a smile.

I knew Ryou would be alright with everything. He would be alright with everything because he didn't really care to begin with. At all. I knew he didn't care at all because as I walked down the stairs the previous night, I had the misfortune of listening in on his conversation with Keiichiro...

...Ryou's voice was loud. Loud, cold, and annoying. I leaned over the banister to the stairs and rested my arms against it as I peered down into the living room. Keiichiro sat with a book in his hands while Ryou made a huge deal at pointing out that he wanted nothing to do with planning out the wedding. I cocked my eyebrows up as I heard this and leaned closer over the banister, trying to hear more of what Ryou-my apparent fiancé- had to say about our arrangement.

"Then I can ship her off back to her parents," he mumbled before turning around to walk away.

_"He wants me to leave?"_ I thought, watching the blond headed young man go around to the stairs. I took that as my invitation to beat it and skipped back up the stairs, sneaking into my room. I wasn't entirely sure why I had come in the first place if Ryou didn't want to be married to me. I ran my fingers through my red hair and sat down on my bed, reassuring myself that somehow, someway stepping into that taxi cab that morning would not have been the biggest mistake of my life.

_"There has to be an explanation behind what he said," _I thought while standing up from my bed to go to my dresser. I knew I wasn't _in_ love with Ryou Shirogane but that wasn't a thought that made me falter too much when I came to the decision to actually go ahead with the arrangement. I figured that with time, maybe I could _learn_ to love. That was something my mom had explained to me right off the bat. That with time, hearts change. I didn't think that Ryou was in love with me to begin with either but I thought that maybe because he was the one who sought me out, that he was thinking the same thing. Not that he was entirely forced into it to the point that he wanted to send me back home immediately after our marriage.

I picked the card from the taxi cab driver from my pocket and sat it down on the dresser before pulling off my sweater and jeans. I changed into my pajamas which consisted of tank tops and old worn plaid bottoms before crawling into bed to ponder more on what Ryou had said...

...And I was still a little funked up in the head about my eavesdropping had led to. The bubble chair rattled and shook again as I jumped from it. Once on the floor, I grabbed a handful of papers from the stack on the table.

"How about this," I began to Keiichiro, "you find me a pretty basic, traditional wedding with a theme that doesn't involve funny wedding gowns or pony rides and," I shook the stack in my hand, "pamphlets on them and we'll have ourselves a wedding idea."

"So lemme get this straight," Keiichiro gazed at me, rubbing his chin, "if I keep the wedding basic and along the lines of traditional, I can pick it out?"

I nodded, "Yes."

Keiichiro's grin was wicked. Wicked and devious and told me that maybe I was making the wrong decision giving my new friend free reign.

"Fabulous," Keiichiro laughed, clapping his hands together, "I know exactly what you have in mind."

"Good," I sighed, "I'm going to just go back to my room then." And with that, I took my leave, traipsing down the corridors and halls of the mansion back to my room. It was strange thinking that I had only been in Shirogane's mansion for a day and things were starting to feel familiar. I paused from walking down the hall and glanced around.

"O_oohh_," I whirled back around, "shit!" Starting to feel familiar was an exaggeration and a complete lie. I knew how to go down the stairs from my bedroom. Getting back to my room from the entertainment room was a completely different story. Not to mention, my sense of direction was awful. Did I go up stairs? Was I on another floor? These were questions I did not know how to answer.

I walked down another hall and stopped. Dead end. "This place is a labyrinth!" I cried, throwing up my hands in the air before turning around and walking back the beginning of the hall. A door opened from one of the various rooms in front of me and out popped a head of a young woman. She looked down the hall and upon spotting me, laughed, "Oh, I was wondering who was yelling."

I paused, not exactly expecting anyone else to be in Ryou's home but continued to walk down the hall up to the young woman.

"I'm sorry," I grinned, "I'm lost."

The young woman walked from the room and shut the door behind her, "I can see that. Well, _hear_ that." She was young, maybe my age, with dark hair and deep sapphire eyes. And looking at the way she was dressed, I could assume she was pretty wealthy. Probably one of Ryou's friends.

I smiled guiltily, "Sorry. It's just really frustrating."

"Anyone with half a brain can figure this place out but," she shrugged, "I guess it takes a little bit of time to finally get used to where you're going."

_"What a snob!" _I thought, crossing my arms over my chest, "Uh gee thanks. Well if you could point me in the right direction, that'd be helpful."

"Where is it that you're going?" she eyeballed me.

"My bedroom I guess," I wasn't entirely sure what to call it. Did all of these rooms have different names or something?

The girl looked taken aback for a moment but quickly regained herself and pastured on a smile, "I'm assuming you're the fiancée?"

"That's right." I answered, feeling like I struck a cord with the girl, "I'm Ichigo Momomiya."

"Mint Aizawa," she gazed lazily at me and held out her hand as if she expected me to take it. I did however and shook her delicate little hand.

Two and a half halls later, I found myself staring at the wooden framed glass doors to my bedroom, white lace curtains drawn across the glass. I glanced at Mint and she looked away, "I've heard a lot about this room," she said, "Ryou apparently spent some time and a small sum of money on it."

I was tempted to be sarcastic and spew out a, _"Fascinating."_ but instead continued to stare at the girl. She picked at the ring around her middle finger, a large sapphire gem placed neatly in the middle of the white gold band. I held back my sigh of niceness, "Well would you like to come in and see it?"

Her eyes lit up but the words from her mouth were garbage, "Oh well if you insist, I suppose I can take time out of my schedule to glance around the atrocity that Ryou Shirogane designed."

I wanted to defend my room and Ryou. But as it was, I barely knew Ryou and if her opinion was that she didn't like the room then it shouldn't have bothered me. I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth before grabbing the handles to the doors and turning them so that both of the glass doors opened inward. Surprisingly, my room was bright and sunny. I guessed that was from the sun that was shining today instead of the gloomy sky's like yesterday. I smiled at Mint (who gaped slightly) and walked into my room, turning to spread my arms apart and welcome her. If I had just added a 'Ta-Da', it would've completed the scene.

She walked in behind me and turned her head to glance at the bed and the chairs and the dresser and windows. I would've felt more pride for my room if I had been living in it longer and maybe even added a few personal touches but I was glad that this girl I barely knew seemed impressed. She gracefully walked across the room and ran her fingers across the leather chairs then trailed her hand to the cream colored bed spread, stopping when she touched the wooden mahogany bed pillars that held up the canopy.

"Impressive," she raised her dark eyebrows and I shrugged.

"Can't say it's not. I've never had a room like this before," I replied.

"Hard to believe Ryou took pride in designing this room," Mint commented, folding her hand on her hip. This irritated me. The way Mint had been condescending the entire day, it felt as if she were insulting my room. My room-the room Keiichiro told me was especially designed for the 'bride to be'- was one of the few things I had actually come to enjoy in the small amount of time I had spent in the mansion. I was ready to have myself a total cat fight with the girl when I stopped and realized what she said.

"Ryou designed the room?" I asked. I had heard her say it before but this time the words set in.

Mint flashed a grin and nodded, "Apparently this was one of the only rooms he had to buy things for and design it so that his fiancée would enjoy it."

I felt my stomach do a little bit of a flip flop. _"Oh geez,"_ I thought, _"He designed it by himself for me?"_ Although I was just getting to know Ryou, it was flattering that he had taken some interest and time in trying to do something nice for me even though we hadn't met. I smoothed out the yellow dress I was wearing and grinned shyly, "Mm, well that was nice of him."

"Yes," Mint looked up at some random pictures that had already been hung up on the walls before I moved into the room, "So how did you and Ryou meet? He never talked about a girlfriend much less ever getting married."

My mouth dropped open. _"Whaaat?"_ I thought, _"She doesn't know that it's an arranged marriage?" _I paused and sat down in one of the chairs, "Uhh," I began.

_"Do I tell her?Is it a secret?"_

"Well," I managed a fake chuckle, "we met..." I trailed off. It's not like I had a single clue how we would have met. I didn't know anything about Ryou's personal life or what he liked to do or even what type of girl he liked.

"We met at Madame Devaux's birthday celebration last summer," Ryou chimed in from the door way.

_"Talk about being saved by the bell,"_ I thought with a grin as Mint swiveled around to face him.

"Huh. There you are. I've been waiting for over twenty minutes." Mint huffed and crossed her pale arms.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ryou apologized with a soft smile. I watched him from my chair and relaxed, hoping that he could handle Mint now, "So you've met my fiancée?"

Mint looked back at me and gave a smug smile, "Yes. I was fortunate enough for her to show me this lovely room you designed. I had no idea you had a creative bone in your body."

Ryou shrugged, "What can I say?"

"You can start with introducing me properly to your fiancée." she looked back at me again, "It seems polite enough, doesn't it?"

"Of course. It was rude of me on my part," Ryou walked up to me, holding out his hand. I took it gently and stood up from my comfy chair, regretting that I had to, "Mint, this is Ichigo Momomiya. My fiancée." With that, he made the first move and pecked me on my cheek. I couldn't help the blush that crept up my neck but I knew that I had to be careful since Ryou was apparently hiding the real reason behind our marriage. So I went along with his little game. I leaned my cheek against my shoulder and closed my eyes, accompanying my blush in an attempt to look shy in the case that Mint caught the reddening of my face as something else.

"Ichigo, this is Mint Aizawa," he held up his hand to Mint as if to show off something spectacular, "my good friend and my financial advisor." Mint did a little bit of a curtsy and I grinned, taking her pale hand to shake like before.

_"Financial advisor," _I thought, _"No wonder she pointed out that Ryou had spent a small sum of money on my room."_

And no wonder he was trying to keep the arranged marriage a secret. If he were to tell her, she might have thought that our marriage would be a waste of money. Getting married for no reason, just because our parents had arranged it before we were born felt like a silly reason. I watched as Ryou spoke to Mint about something financially and crossed my arms over my chest.

_"A silly reason,"_ I thought again. I wanted to marry Ryou to be financially stable, what did Ryou want me for? Then the reasoning was like a light bulb going off in my mind.

_"He's hiding something. Something...big," _I thought. I was the token to why he wanted to go through with the marriage but he didn't have a reason why he wanted to marry me in the first place. I could already tell Ryou didn't like me that much. From the cold attitude at dinner to the wanting to send me home conversation with Keiichiro to the way he was quiet that morning to the fake-ness around Mint, I knew that he had something other than just wanting to get married up his wealthy little sleeve.

And I was going to find out.

_"Or death do us part,"_ I thought with a grin.

...to be continued...

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A/N: ha ha. Witty ending. Thanks everyone for the feedback! I appreciate it. So Ichigo is unraveling the mystery to Ryou's sudden engagement. And Mint has just popped into the picture! Hurray. I know, I know. Keiichiro isn't really a wedding planner in the graphic novels. But I thought it'd add a little something in there to help the plot along. He'd be good at it though right? I just wanted to sort of make clear that they're adults in case anyone was confused on that. Time travel to six years in advance. Ichigo's like eighteen and I think Ryou's around twenty-two. Anyways, I apologize if anyone was a little out of character. I thought maybe since they were older, they'd have some different preferences in things. Anyways, you know the drill. Bye till the next chapter. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew (forget this in the last chapter so disclaimer for that too!)

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...Ryou's POV...

_"Oh Mint Aizawa,"_ I thought, watching my friend chat up Momomiya, _"If only you knew the reasons behind this catastrophe."_

Telling Mint my engagement to Ichigo Momomiya-I had to admit-was a little difficult the first time. It had been a little less than a month after I had found out my parents lawful secret plans and I knew that the girl I had known for years and trusted as my financial advisor wasn't going to take what I was going to tell her well. "An arranged marriage!" I could see her throwing her small hands into the air then returning them to her waist, "That's preposterous! You don't have to go through with something stupid and wasteful like that Ryou. No! You will not be engaged to some silly, poor bimbo who will suck you dry clean of all your finances. You will go to the courthouse and cancel any ties to it, whether your parents have made arrangements or not."

I shook my head every time I thought of telling her the real reasons behind the marriage. I knew she wouldn't take an arranged marriage well, and personally, I didn't want her or anyone else to know of it. The fact that I was stuck in a bind and Momomiya was the only way out was a little degrading on my pride. I had grown up half of my life without parents and had taken care of myself and only now, were my parents telling my what to do, who to marry, and when to do it. It didn't look good on my part and knowing that there was no way out was something I would have rather kept to myself.

I was sure that if Mint had known everything, she would have gone straight to the lawyers and made a mess of trying to find a way out of the will. I didn't want that. It would have been more of a hassle then just getting married and calling it done. Within a couple of years I figured Ichigo would be sick and tired of me and would return to her parents, where I wouldn't have to worry about her again. I would have gone through with the marriage and that would have been enough for the lawyers-I was sure. You can't force someone to stay in a marriage if they don't love each other, let alone like each other. And in the end, that would be okay with the courts and the hell hole I was in would be over.

But I didn't want Mint to know that. Not even Keiichiro knew everything I had in mind. So I decided to keep the engagement quiet and when I told Mint, she was very much taken aback.

"Engaged?" She looked at me like I was a complete stranger, which I probably was. I had never been interested in dating. Not since I was fifteen when I had one girlfriend for ten minutes. I had never even spoken of being with a girl or ever wanting to marry one so I was sure Mint was as surprised as I felt when I told her.

"Yeah," I scratched the back of my head, "I proposed last week. She's...the girl of my dreams." I lied. Big lie. Huge lie. I had no idea what Ichigo Momomiya looked like, what she liked, or even what her personality was. How was I to know if she was the girl of my dreams?

"Ryou Shirogane had a girlfriend and now he has a fiancée?" Mint asked with an amused look on her face. She was sitting at her desk in one of the office buildings I owned in the downtown area of the city. Papers were stacked on her desk, a pen resting behind her ear as she stood up and paced her large office. Mint had enough money from her family to never have to work ever. But growing up, her father had told her she should be prepared for everything and to always expect the unexpected. Assuming the worst, Mint went to a variety of schools that offered her an education in money management so she could make sure her fathers fortune never went down the toilet. With that, she got a job at one of my offices and became not only her parents financial advisor's but mine and everyone else who knew of her.

"Yes," I answered and watched her stop pacing and sit up on the top of her desk, crossing one pale leg over the other.

"I don't believe you," her smile lazy and her expression unconvinced.

"You don't have to," I shrugged, "She's moving in, in about a month though."

"You can't be serious?" Mint's expression turned to anger, "And you're playing house too? Ryou you've never been interested in dating or girls or marriage. What are you doing?"

"I love her," I replied, "and I want to be with her. It'll be easier if she moves in now so that after the wedding we don't have to get her settled in."

Mint shook her head, "You're in your prime. You have your whole life in front of you. And you're steadily working your way up in this management. Why would you want to get married and have that bring you down now of all times?"

_"I don't,"_ I thought, _"I really don't."_

"It can't be helped now," I picked up a crystal paper weight on her desk, "And I don't want it to be helped either. I want her." my lie was just getting bigger, "But I do plan to work steadily through everything. I'm not going to let planning everything out get in the way of work."

Mint seemed alright with this answer and threw her hands up in the air with defeat, "Fine." she answered, "Whatever. This is your decision."

I grinned, "Thanks Mint."

She waved me off, "Go away. I have work. And I need to put aside a fund for your marriage thing or whatever it is."

And I stood there, months later, my fiancée finally meeting Mint, the girl who I knew wanted this probably not to happen as much as I didn't want it to happen.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Ryou?" Joked Mint after she had left Ichigo to her room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, leading her back to my office where I had originally left her before. I had gone to grab some papers for work and when I returned to my office, she was no longer there, leaving me confused on where she had gone.

"She's about as average as average gets," she sighed, tossing back the loose strands to her dark hair that was pulled up into a bun.

"Really?" I sounded less than interested, hardly even fazed by her words.

Honestly, I had never really looked at Ichigo. From the day she ran right into me, I never took into consideration or admired her looks. Slightly wavy, deep red hair that spilled over her thin, pale shoulders was usually how I identified her. That and the obnoxious voice she used to talk. I chuckled inwardly at the thought.

"And she's a little shy," Mint added as I held to the door open for her to my office, "Okay well, maybe not _that_ shy. But she does get quieter whenever you're around."

"How long were you talking to her?" I asked, sitting down at my leather chair. She took the seat across from my desk and opened a file.

"Not long. Although you can tell, when you walked into the room she defiantly got a lot shyer. Especially when you kissed her. The look on her face was 'oh wow'." Mint laughed, flipping through a few sheets of paper in the file, "Here's the amount that's in your wedding fund by the way," she pointed at a paper in the file.

"Oh," I signed off a few papers, "just give that to Keiichiro. He's taking care of all the preparations and wedding stuff."

"Oh," Mint sounded surprised and I glanced up at her, "well that's strange."

"What?"

She shook her head, "Never heard of the best man planning a wedding with the bride. Just strange is all."

Strange was not the better way to put it. Strange didn't even come close to what the situation really was.

_"Mint,"_ I thought, _"You don't know the half of it."_

… "You want to do what?" Keiichiro asked a week later. I stood in his room, large dry erase boards and memo cork boards were hung on his walls with pictures of wedding ideas and drawn out pictures posted everywhere. He stood as his drawing table, his glasses at the peak of his nose, a lamp shining down on whatever he was working on. He was a sight to behold. I glanced around at the boards on his wall and repeated what I had said to him before.

"I want to help with the wedding a little I guess." I shoved my hands into my pockets.

It was silent for a moment before Keiichiro laughed so loud that I had to take a step back and glower at his sarcasm.

"Wow," he laughed softer, "where did that come from?"

"No where," I answered, taking a picture of a wedding dress down from the cork board to look at it. Honestly, I had the misfortune of having Mint tell me for days that she was becoming skeptical on Ichigo and mines relationship based entirely off the fact that I didn't help with the wedding plans at all. Every day as Ichigo and Keiichiro skipped out the door, laughing and pointing out plans, Mint happened to walk in at the same time and notice that I wasn't joining them.

"What is that?" she asked, looking from me to them, "Where are they going?"

"To meet with the wedding planner," I'd reply.

She'd hand me the stack of files and go on pestering me on why I didn't go. Or why I didn't help. Or if I even knew what type of wedding I was having. Then from there she'd get quiet and ask if I were hiding something. And because I wanted to hide the secret I'd reply no. With that she'd tap her foot against the floor and question if maybe I really knew Ichigo that well. Would Ichigo cheat on me with Keiichiro? I wish. And that was why I had come to the decision to get Mint off my back and really try to keep the secret by helping out.

"Something the matter?" Keiichiro asked.

"Mint wont get off my back. She thinks that Ichigo is cheating on me with you because I don't go help plan the wedding."

Keiichiro was silent and I stared at him.

"Maybe she is?" he asked after a long while.

"Seriously?" I shot back with a glare and my friend proceeded to crack up at his own jokes, "I'm serious though. Mint comes up with all sorts of accusations. She even asks if I'm hiding something from her. And because I don't want this to get out, I've decided to help you guys or whatever."

Keiichiro nodded and continued to nod as he looked back at the paper he was working on. After a few seconds he asked, "Do you even know a thing about this girl you are going to marry?"

Not a single damn clue. And I liked to keep it that way.

"She's a girl, eighteen, red hair," I answered.

"Physical attributes are things everyone knows," Keiichiro was serious, "She likes pink, she loves cats, her favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry." he sketched something out on his paper, "And those are just things you can tell when you're walking with her. How do you expect to be married to this woman for forever when you don't even know who she is?"

"Isn't that the point to an arranged marriage?" I asked.

"At one point Ryou," Keiichiro looked up at me, "you're going to have to get to know her. You can't ignore her forever."

That was where my dear friend was wrong. I didn't have to talk to her or know her or anything with her to get my golden ticket. As long as the deed was done in my opinion, I was the winner.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

Keiichiro seemed less than impressed with my attitude and took his glasses off, giving me a long, hard stare. I tried to ignore him and after a few minutes he sighed, "Tomorrow is usually one of the days I go with Ichigo to see Elsa, the wedding planner. It probably isn't entirely appropriate that I go to this one tomorrow anyways. So you can go with Ichigo."

I looked at my friend, "What do you mean by, 'entirely appropriate'?"...

...Ichigo looked at me and I looked at her.

She was in a black sweater and pink skirt. I was in a jacket and jeans. It was cold outside. The so-called office that the wedding planner, Elsa worked in, was closed. My car-it was gone. The driver? He was gone too. I couldn't explain the situation better than that. The first thought that rolled through my mind was, _"Gee Sunday is a strange day to go to the wedding planners."_ My second thought was, _"Keiichiro today is the day I plan to murder you."_

After about two seconds of standing in front of the front doors to the office in the downtown area, I easily pieced together Keiichiro's little plan. _"Of course,"_ I thought, looking at Ichigo, _"he _would_ do something like this."_

The fact that he was so serious about me getting to know Ichigo was the first factor. Sending me alone with Ichigo to the planners was where his plan began. Getting the driver to simply 'drop' Ichigo and I off so he could find a parking space was where the plan was left off with a bang. So Ichigo and I stood in front of the rotating doors, our reflections looking back at us almost in a mocking way. And that's how it stayed for a good two minutes.

"Fantastic," I groaned, running my hand through my hair.

"Hm," Ichigo pressed her hands to the window, peering into the building, "who knew they weren't open today."

"A lot of places aren't opened on Sundays." _You dope._

Ichigo set her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply, "Well I guess we can start walking back home then."

I stared at her. Was she a freaking moron?

Walk.

_Walk!_

Back to the mansion?

I glanced down the street. There was no way we could walk back when I couldn't even see the hills in which my house rested upon.

I shook my head, "No. It's too far."

She looked up at me and cocked an eyebrow, "No it's not."

"I can't even see the hills," I protested.

"They're right around this building," she held her hand up to one of the bank buildings that stood in the way.

I rolled my eyes, "Why should we walk when our driver was just here? It would be a waste to walk when he can simply drive us."

I could've sworn I saw Ichigo mimic me and roll her eyes but I ignored it. She crossed her arms across her chest, glanced at me, and started walking away. I watched her get about ten feet away from me when I asked, "Where are you going?"

She turned around and walked backwards, "I'm walking back to your mansion." She replied.

I started after her, "I told you, our driver will be back any minute. We don't need to walk. There's no reason to!"

She spun back around so she was no longer facing me and called over her shoulder, "You're just a big lazy."

_"How irritating,"_ I thought as I walked after her, _"This girl is irritating. She irritates me!" _

Clearly with frustration and irritation I couldn't think of a better word to describe her as. We walked down to the corner of where the downtown area began to turn to homes when I stopped. Why was I following her in the first place? I didn't have to watch her. She technically wasn't my responsibility. If she wanted to walk back to the estate then she could walk. I, however, wanted to get a ride home. And I was going to do that.

But as I watched her continue up the sidewalk, I noticed she never even glanced back to see if I was following. For whatever reason, this fact caused an uproar in my head. I didn't know Ichigo that well, I knew that. I liked it like that. But the girl who was living under my roof, living off my hospitality, and was currently my future 'legal partner'-did not give a shit whether or not I was coming-made me incredibly angry.

Balling my hands into fists, I clenched my jaw and chased after the red headed girl. When I caught up to her, she spun around and smirked, "Falling behind?"

"You didn't even bother to wait," I growled, glaring at her.

She shrugged, "I figured you follow whether you wanted to or not."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why is that? I could go wherever I wanted to. I could call up a taxi right now if I wanted to get a ride home. Or simply call the driver. Or even get Keiichiro to come. I don't have to follow you."

"Of course you don't _have_ to."

"Then why would you say it?" I hissed again.

She smiled, "Because I watched you leave your phone in the car."

My hands immediately flew to my pockets on my sides. I patted them, dug through them, and pulled out their insides, only revealing the lint that lived in my jeans. _"Shit," _I thought, glaring at Ichigo, her smug expression taunting me.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Doesn't matter. I still have my wallet." I patted my back pockets and to my great displeasure found that they were also empty.

_"Convenient," _I thought as I dug into them and pulled out a measly five dollar bill that had gone through the wash too many times.

"Unless you find a pay phone, looks like you're out of luck," Ichigo snickered, "You handed Keiichiro your wallet before you got in the car, remember?"

Of course. And with Keiichiro's little plan to get me to spend time with my annoying fiancée, he would've pocketed my wallet. I stared at Ichigo and she innocently whirled around and started back up the sidewalk.

"Looks like rain," Ichigo skipped away, "Better hurry and find that pay phone."

Sighing with defeat, I rolled my eyes and followed after the bouncing girl.

"Why are you so aggravating?" I asked aloud, shoving my hands in my pockets.

Ichigo slowed her pace a bit and glanced over her shoulder questioningly at me. I watched her then tore my gaze away and continued at my pace Figuring there was no other way to reword my question, I waited for her answer.

"Aggravating?" she asked after a little while, "You think I'm annoying?"

"Irritating." I corrected.

"Basically the same thing," She scoffed, "They're all unappealing meanings to the opposite party."

I was silent and she swung her arms from side to side, brushing her fingers against her ruffled skirt. After a minute she asked, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You think I'm aggravating?"

"Yes."

"Why?" She looked over her shoulder again at me, her expression not humorous but more as if she were ready to fight back at whatever I had to say. And I was willing to take that challenge.

"Because you are. Like walking instead of going along with the plan to wait for the driver. It would have been simpler, but now we're walking all the way back to the mansion. Which is up hill, by the way." It was the easiest way to begin explaining how much I disliked her at the moment.

Ichigo stopped walking and spun around, facing me. I didn't stop walking however and continued to trot up hill, walking right pass her. She huffed and chased after me, "I can't believe you're so lazy that you have such a problem walking a few miles to your house!"

"I'm not lazy," I narrowed my eyes, glancing at her as I walked, "I'm telling you that a walk is much more of a hassle than waiting for our driver who is _paid _to drive us places."

"Laziness!" Ichigo retorted, "That is exactly laziness."

"Look at the sky, Ichigo. You said it yourself, it looks like rain. Who wants to walk with a chance of a shower?"

"What's wrong with a rain walk? Nothing. You're just thinking up excuses to not walk. How hard is this? See? I can see your house from here." She held up her hand to the hills, which looked a lot further than a few miles.

"You've got to be joking me!" I glared at the girl, "_See? _How could you say, 'see?' I can _see_ that it's too far! It's going to take more than an hour to get back. This is why we _drove_ here. So we wouldn't have to walk!"

"The driver left, Ryou! How did you expect to call him to go get us? Clap your hands three times?" Ichigo snorted, rolling her brown eyes.

I started to feel my blood boil. How dare she argue with me over something I'm providing us with? Not to mention, my side was ten times more logical. Her only argument was that not walking would be pure laziness. How the hell did that make sense? When provided with the transportation, take it. It's as simple and smart as that.

"What the hell is your problem?" I growled.

"My problem is you." Ichigo answered, shooting a glare so sharp and icy that I had to take a moment to brush the look off.

"And you're my problem." I snapped, "You're rude, obnoxious, and an overall priss. You have no appreciation for anything I do for you and you actually have the nerve to fight with me about finding a ride back home. Something _I'm_ providing us with."

"Oh shut up Ryou. You're a total fake, lying, smug bastard with not a single redeeming quality."

Ouch.

Ichigo was pissed. Really pissed. This was another first for me with Ichigo. I knew arguments. We'd had one on the day we met. But serious anger was something I had yet to see on her.

She didn't finish there either, "How dare you act like you know me when you don't have a single clue. Since the day I've met you, there has never been a moment where I felt like you've provided me with anything but hostility. You act like shoving a roof over my head is a warm welcoming but it's not. Get a clue, Ryou, nobody likes to live with an asshole. And you're grade A ass meat."

And she was gone; walking so quickly up the sidewalk that she was practically a block away from me by the time her words registered. Hostility? Shoving a roof over her head? Asshole?

Words. So many words that I had never once associated her as a person to say. I watched Ichigo get all the way up the block and around the corner where she completely disappeared before I turned around and started back towards the downtown area. I was angry. Trust me. And I planned to have a serious talk with that fiancée of mine before things went any further.

But I had to calm down first. And I had to pick and choose my arguments before I could continue on. And I had to find a ride home.

Because there was no way in hell I was going to walk home after being called grade A ass meat.

* * *

_...to be continued..._

A/N: Kind of a silly ending, I know. But it leads to action! Now it's time to make things better in the next chapter (along with other things). I am aware that Ichigo was a little out of character. But she's defiantly not a timid character when she gets into an argument in my opinion. Mint's little shpill in the beginning about Ichigo being "shy" is totally off just fyi in case someone points it out. I know it's off. It's because Mint and Ichigo haven't really associated yet and Mint thinks Ichigo is shy around Ryou (and because of the little part in the last chapter haha). Time can only tell. Thanks my reviewers! It was a pleasure getting to hear from you. To answer one suggestion, I am planning on adding in all the Mew Mews. I just have to give them all good opportunities for entrance. You know the drill. See you next chapter. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.**

_...Ichigo's POV..._

Days earlier, Ryou was pissed. There was no other way of looking at it. He was so mad that from where I stood at the bottom of the staircase, I could feel him seething at me. And I looked up at him, my fingers holding the banister, my feet glued to the marble floor but I never looked away even as I felt myself falter just a little. I never looked away because I knew if I did that would give him the upper hand. He couldn't have the upper hand. Not anymore. Not after I had finally told him the truth. Not after I had finally gotten some of the feelings I had bottled up in me out.

So I wasn't ashamed as I took the first step towards my fiancé. I wasn't _embarrassed_ of what I had said to him those few hours previous. And confidently, I ascended the marble staircase to confront him and clear the air as I knew he was expecting me to...

To be frank the argument was on so many more different levels than just a small argument of who was right and who was wrong. Oh no. It was far beyond that in my opinion. Saying what I said to Ryou held more of emotional value than it did for stupid argument sake. I had no _intention _of being right or wrong on the fact that we were capable of walking home or getting a ride. I didn't care honestly.

But in one moment as I watched my fiancé act like it was the end of the world for being there with me while Elsa's was closed, a little string in my head snapped and the bottle with my pent up anger and sadness and frustration blew its cap off. And suddenly I felt the need to tell Ryou everything he had no idea I was feeling.

_"What the hell is this guys problem?" _I thought as Ryou in a fit of frustration and anger ran his hands through his hair, total despair becoming his sole expression.

_"Why is it _so, so, so_ hard for him to be with me? Why!" _I thought with disgust.

Over the weeks as I lived with Ryou, not once had he tried to be close or even pleasant towards me unless it was to benefit himself. Every day I laid in my room and watched the hours tick away as Ryou sat somewhere else in the mansion and worked, keeping himself preoccupied and successful. And if I wasn't helping plan the wedding for a few hours or talking to my parents on the phone for a some quick updates, I sat and did nothing. And during the hours as I sat and did nothing, I wondered of all the things I _could_ be doing.

I thought of school, friends, family, shopping, playing, and just about anything else that entertained me more than channel surfing on my bed or playing solitaire on the computer. And every time I thought of Ryou, I knew he was busy doing other things, and because of this I developed sort of a hatred and anger towards my future husband.

_"He has to know,"_ I would think, _"He has to know that I'm doing nothing here. He has to know that I'm just sitting in this room, _rotting._"_

And every time he passed by my door with the phone glued to his ear or he ran out, swinging a jacket over his shoulder and jingling the keys to his car in his hand, I waited for him to stop and look at me. To just _stop for a minute_ and acknowledge my existence in his piece of crap house. But he never did. And I continued to sit and do nothing until Keiichiro came home and rescued me for a few short hours of wedding prepping, all the while I was slowly growing weary and angry and tired of Ryou Shirogane. And that was why I had blown up like I did...

Ryou looked at me with his icy blue eyes and I stared back, thinking of the first words to say.

_"Hello Ryou, you jerk."_

He cleared his throat and after a few long seconds, began, "About this afternoon..." he trailed off and the quit of the mansion settled around us in the longest of all awkward moments.

Silence is loud. It screams. And you acknowledge it even if you don't want to. Even when no one else does, you do.

"It was inappropriate of me," I finally cued in after the awkwardness didn't go away and the silence was never quieted, "I realize that. But everything I said Ryou was true. I feel this way because of how you treat me. I don't feel welcomed in your home and although I know it was you who invited me here in the fist place, I don't feel welcomed by you either."

He was silent again and I was ready to punch him in the face. Could he not apologize? Could he not think of the words to say? He had invited me into his home. He had _sought_ me out and wanted to marry _me_. So if he wanted all of it, why couldn't he just say something?

"Say something!" I finally said, balling my hands into fists.

"Momomiya," he crossed his arms, "This is new to me. Give me a minute. I don't know _what_ to say to you. I'm sorry that you don't feel comfortable in my home? I'm sorry for not being as pleasant as I should be to you? I. Don't. Know. But it's going to take a minute for me to get my point across to you."

"I don't want you to have a point. The fact of the matter is that you're a jerk!" I shouted, getting ready to march off to my room, "This is common sense Ryou. You shouldn't have to _think_ about what's wrong here. You should know how to make it better, because I'm not taking the entire blame for being in this mess."

"Mess?" He answered, narrowing his eyes, "What do you mean by, _mess_?"

"I'm miserable here!" I replied, throwing my hands in the air, "Is that not as plain as daylight? Can you not see that I am? I just told you that I don't feel welcomed here. How would you feel if you were put in my position, where you've moved away from your friends and family to a complete strangers house and to top it with a cherry, you're going to be marrying this stranger?"

"And how would you feel if you were always busy, working constantly, then after going out with your complete stranger fiancée to the wedding planners, had a huge fight on the streets, that now clearly had more meaning than your fiancée led on? Ichigo," He paused, "I'll be honest to you. I'm a guy. I don't know these bottled up emotions that you have. I have no idea what you're going through unless you tell me. Don't lead me in a different direction when you have something else on your mind."..

And that was two days ago. But standing in the living room, staring at the skinny girl with the round glasses and jade wavy locks, I was completely blown away by Ryou's way of fixing my madness.

"Uhm," I looked at Keiichiro and he raised his eyebrows in response. Ryou did the best grin he could and wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders, "Momomiya meet Midorikawa Lettuce." he said and gave her a small push my way.

She stumbled forward but quickly stood up straight and held out her hand, "Hello. How do you do?"

I took her hand and replied, "Quite fine thank you. Do you mind if I talk to my fiancé for just a second in private?" I didn't give her any time to answer and in three short strides, I grabbed Ryou by the elbow of his jacket sleeve and pulled him far away from the new girl and Keiichiro.

"Well," he began, "What do you think?"

"What do I think? What do I think of what? You're gifting me a girl?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"Not _gifting, _Ichigo. _Guiding._" He answered.

"You're guiding me a girl?" What the hell was he talking about?

"She's your new guide." he answered and glanced over my shoulder, waving at Keiichiro and the girl.

"Guide for what?" I glared. Was he basically giving me a friend because he didn't have the time for me and couldn't handle our arguments? If that was the case then I had to admit that I was not that impressed with his way of fixing it.

"You idiot," he narrowed his eyes at me, "Do you remember the other day? The fight out on the streets? How late you had come home after storming away?"

"Yes I remember it. But I don't get what's with this girl."

"After waiting for an hour for you to show up after the fight, I realized that you may have a hard time walking home if you don't know the area very well."

"How thoughtful of you to think of me while I walked home in the rain." I stared at him.

"Hey," he glared, "remember that was your choice."

"Yeah and you got a ride home like a pansy." I snickered.

"Anyways," he interrupted me, "I figured that hiring a girl who is a local and around your age could help you figure out the area a little better so that I don't have to worry about you getting lost and having to send out a search team."

"That's so sweet. You hired a friend for me." I smiled.

"No. She's your new guide."

"It's so that I'll be out of your hair from now on huh?" I could see I was starting to annoy him.

Sighing, he ran his hand over his face and pointed towards Keiichiro, "Just go. I'll be sure to never try and be pleasant towards you again."

"I knew I loved you." I said facetiously and turned my heel, strutting back to Keiichiro and the girl, leaving my now annoyed fiancé behind to wrinkle in his steam.

After the argument those few days earlier, walking home felt like the best thing in the world until I got about half way to the mansion and realized that it was a lot longer than it looked. It wasn't hard to miss the estate where it sat on the grassy hill near some other wealthy looking homes, so I wasn't too terrified of getting lost. I figured that as long as I could see the mansion then I knew I was going in the right direction. But a lot of streets were deceiving and would lead me into dead ends, which caused me to have to backtrack and find another route around. And every time I thought I was getting closer, I had no idea that I still had blocks and miles and ways to go.

And when I finally got to the bottom of the road where it was uphill the rest of the way to Ryou's mansion, the rain started. I ran like a madman with my sweater over my head all the way up the hill till I got to the gates and had to talk to the little speaker in the ground to open them up so I could get in. And I never knew that when I entered the mansion, I was going to be entering to face my fiancé in our next confrontation.

But since that day, I had seen and felt a better improvement in Ryou's attempts at trying to be nice and pleasant and more like my future husband than he had been before. It was little things really that had lightened the mood. Like staying through an entire dinner the first night. Then even stopping to talk to me when we passed each other in the hall yesterday. To today where he "surprised" me with the guide. It was small and attempted and I appreciated that.

"So Lettuce?" I asked after Keiichiro and Ryou had left the room, "How did you find out about the position of being a guide?"

Curiosity had honestly gotten the best of me. How did Ryou even ask around for someone to do something like this let alone hire someone about it?

"Oh," Lettuce looked at her feet and leaned up from the couch she sat on across from me, "I didn't really."

"Hm. Well how did you get the job?" I leaned on the arm of the vintage couch, its squeals coming as its rebuttal.

Lettuce looked embarrassed before she answered and tapped her fingers together as she explained quietly, "I actually worked as a maid here for a while. Mister Shirogane approached the head maid and basically my boss a few days ago and asked if there was a maid around the ages of seventeen and nineteen that would be interested in a sort of promotional type job."

I rolled my eyes inwardly and thought, _"I can't believe him."_

"And because I am so clumsy," Lettuce went on with a sad laugh, "my boss suggested me, so that I would no longer be in her hair. And I talked to Ryou yesterday and he said that I was perfect for helping 'his future wife' as he put it. So, ha, here I am now. And, I don't know if I was supposed to tell you all that." She said and tapped her forefinger against her lips.

"Too late now right?" I smiled.

She looked up at me and smile back, laughing, "I-I guess so."

Before I could let our conversation go any further, I stood up and held out my hand for Lettuce to take. She looked wearily at it and then looked to me with confusion. I grinned, "Well, let's get started on that guiding."

… I had to admit that Lettuce knew a lot about direction. She wasn't poor when it came to knowing where she was, like I was. After the driver had dropped us off at in church parking lot not too far from where the mansion was, Lettuce showed me every possible shortcut to how to get to a near by mall. I learned the names of the main streets and how far away the freeway was, which was actually a lot further than I thought. And I also learned all the secrets to the area that Ryou lived in.

"So like I was saying, where Mister Shirogane lives is actually a really small town but a lot of wealthier people live there because of the lake front you can get to by walking distance." Lettuce explained and I stared at her in response.

_"Lake front? What?"_

"And a lot of the people will come from the town to the city where they work. That's where the mall is. It's all really close together. See Mister Shirogane works for and also partly owns," she paused as we began our way down the sidewalk of the main street, "that building." she pointed to a large sky scrapper in the distance. I looked at her again with the bewilderment I felt.

She nodded as she went on, "When I was cleaning houses for a long while, I worked for all sorts of people who worked with Mister Shirogane in that building. He works with money and business and I heard that in his spare time he works in the department of design, where he helps with science type stuff. I'm not very good at science," Laughed my friend, "But it's really interesting to know that type of stuff I bet."

Lettuce liked to explain things too. She often twirled her hair when she spoke of my finance and smiled when she taught me something new, which was practically everything within the first few hours of knowing the young girl. Besides streets, Lettuce had a lot of offer in terms of teaching me everything I didn't know about the man I was too marry.

Continuing to the over sized mall that could be seen from where we were walking about a mile away, Lettuce told me more than I had figured out within in the couple of weeks of living with my future husband. She told me that he was actually a very sweet, quiet man to his coworkers. He went with his friends every winter to the mountains where he skied and owned a small cabin. And that he also had a boat on the lake that I had no idea was there.

As we entered the mall, a cold rush of air flew over us from the doors opening and I smiled as we took our first steps into the brightly lit structure. It had been so long since I had entered a shopping facility besides all the wedding places Keiichiro took me to that I was overcome with joy as we walked down the long, white marble tiled hall. I almost jumped with joy but stopped myself and laughed quietly, looping my arm around Lettuce's, "Oh my gosh. Lettuce, I'm so excited."

She laughed and eyed me with curiosity, "Huh? Whys that?"

"It's been forever since I've gone shopping." I made a sucker fish face and bit the inside of my cheek, staring at the two floors worth of stores.

"Oh well," Lettuce looked at a man offering her something from a kiosk and said, "Where do you want to go first? There are all sorts of stores."

I tapped my fingers against my lips, the card I hadn't used since I moved began to burn a hole in my pocket. Before I had decided to move in with Ryou, I had a part time job at a store not far from my house. With all the money I had used to save up for a car now gone to waste since I would probably never need it, I felt the desire to spend my money on as many things as possible. It wasn't long until Lettuce and I entered a store, and my fingers ran over hangers as I checked tags for the right size shirt.

Lettuce stood not far from me, her hands folded in front of her as she watched quietly. After a couple minutes, I paused and looked at my new friend, "Lettuce?" I asked, "Don't you want to look?"

She tilted her head, "Huh? Oh no. That's okay." she smiled and waved her hands.

I stepped away from the rack of shirts and smiled, "Do you want to go to a different store?"

She shook her head, "No. It's alright really. I've never been a huge fan of shopping."

I made a _'oh please'_ face and grabbed her arm, tugging her out of the store. She glanced over her shoulder and looked confused, "What's wrong?"

"We have to shop together," I placed my hands on my hips, "like friends. It can't be just one sided. Now, what kind of store do you like?"

"Hu_uuuh_?" Lettuce looked around, "I-I don't know Ichigo."

"Well," I looked around also, "let's just avoid clothes for now. Do you like animals?"

Lettuce smiled, "Yes."

Bingo. I grinned and nodded towards the puppy store three doors down, "Let's go there then."

She smiled wider and laughed, "Okay then."

Walking into the puppy store had to be the most exciting moment of the day honestly. I could tell Lettuce seemed thrilled to be walking in also. I wasn't sure if it was because we were avoiding the clothing stores or because she really did love animals. After walking into the store, the first sound that escaped my mouth was, "Aw."

The brown eyed yellow lab puppy that stared back jumped on the glass window and yapped playfully. My head tilted as I brushed my fingers over the glass and I wished so badly that I could take the little yellow ball of joy home with me. After a couple of seconds as I stood there and admired the puppy, I glanced around for Lettuce. She stood not too far from me, talking to a young woman at the front counter.

I was about to approach her and ask what Ryou thought of animals, since I didn't have a clue but I was stopped when someone behind me asked, "They're cute huh?"

I turned around and glanced at the young man walking from small, narrow room that acted as a wall between the puppy cages. He smiled as he approached me and I answered, "Yeah, they're really cute."

He was a handsome young man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He swiped his hands on his beige work pants and said, "The cool thing is that these puppies come from local shelters and not puppy mills."

"Really?" I smiled, "That's interesting. Why not leave them at shelters though?"

"It's because some shelters will euthenize dogs within the first few days of being in there. So we give the puppies a second chance here. Plus people are drawn to puppy stores and we feel like they'd have the best chance here also. Not to mention, it's a great spot in the mall whereas some people would just pass by a shelter without even recognizing it." he explained.

"Wow," I slipped my hands into my back pockets, "That's really cool." I frowned, "But, don't you feel bad for older puppies or dogs?"

"The money that we use here for adoption papers, goes towards shelters for expansion so that they wont have to euthenize so many dogs. And we do actually have an older dog kenel if people are interested in a more experienced dog."

He grinned smoothly, "So are you interested in taking home a puppy today?"

I wanted to so badly. I looked over the young man's shoulder at the yellow lab that sat in its glass cage, waiting for the next person to come by and fall in love with it and take it home. I bit my bottom lip and tried to resist the growing urge to grab the puppy and run. Not that I would have gotten it out of its glass cage, but it was worth the shot. I looked at the salesman and frowned before I shook my head.

"I loved to take one home. It's just out of the question right now." I shrugged.

The salesman shrugged also, "It's okay, a lot of people come in just to browse."

"Maybe some other day, when my living arrangements are not so out of whack and I can finally figure out how to get to the mall by myself." I laughed. My sense of direction was probably never going to improve.

"You don't know how to get here?" The salesman looked astonished, like it was a bad thing that I didn't know my way around.

"No, I just moved here," I pointed out. I looked over my shoulder again at Lettuce who was still having a conversation with the sales girl. She must have sensed that I was looking at her because she glanced my way and stopped mid conversation to see what I was doing. I smiled and looked back at the salesman.

"You just moved here? Oh wow, that's pretty cool. You must not be that familiar with the community then. Say," he dug through his pants pocket to reveal a white business card that was creased from where it was folded in half, "if you're ever interested, I help down at the shelter every weekend. We could really use an extra hand," he smiled and shrugged, "if you're interested that is."

He handed me the card and his smile grew increasingly charming. I had to look away to hide the hot feeling that was gathering in my cheeks. His hand slid around mine and he squeezed it, "I'm Masaya Aoyama by the way. If you ever need any help with anything, just give me a call. My number is on the card."

"Uh," I looked down where he held my hand and he gave it another squeeze before he walked away, up to one of his coworkers who was calling his name. I watched him go before I looked down at my hand and the business card he had left in it.

"_Let's Little Animal Shelter"_ it read, along with the address and phone number. I turned the card over and saw where he had written in pencil his personal number. My cheeks all of a sudden felt like they were burning and I pressed the back of my hand against my face to help the sensation go away. _"I think,"_ I thought, _"that guy just hit on me."_

Lettuce walked over to me from where I stood near the lab's cage. I looked at her and she smiled warily, "Well this store is always fun." she commented.

I nodded and stuck the card in my pocket, "Oh yeah. I bet it is. Let's just go, okay?" I said and began out the door, looking over my shoulder at Masaya who was helping a family pick out the puppy they wanted from a glass cage.

_"Too bad I'm engaged,"_ I thought and instantly felt shameful of myself.

_"Oh goodness, I should never think that way,"_ I walked with Lettuce through the large hall that led out into the exit. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. How did things all of a sudden take a dramatic turn when I was dying of boredom less than three days ago?

I knew one thing though. I was definitely staying away from the puppy store for a while.

_…to be continued …_

A/N: It's late for me. Time for bed.

I didn't do an amazing job of rereading and correcting any mistakes so if some things sound funny or are grammatically incorrect, just ignore it. Anyways, hello Masaya. He has entered the picture and will eventually become a great twist to this plot. Ha. Finally Ryou and Ichigo are startin' to sort of get on a love-hate relationship and things are moving along but we'll see what happens in the next chapter. You know the drill, please read and review. Much thanks.

Kristen

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ryou's POV..._

She smelled amazing.

That was what first signaled the entrance of my fiancée into the dining room. The second, was the sound of her brown boots clacking against the tiled floor. I looked at Ichigo from where I sat at the kitchen table and watched her strut into the room. Her long red locks were pulled up and out of her face in curly pig tails, which spiraled down onto her chest. Her blue jeans were ripped thigh high and exposed most of her white, white legs. The tiny pink camisole she wore was tight and it left little if not nothing to the imagination.

I swallowed the apple I was eating.

She took the chair to the right of me at the head of the long dining room table and sighed as she slumped down into the red, satin chair. I returned my gaze to the newspaper I had been reading and mumbled, "Mm. Good morning."

"Morning," She replied and I couldn't help but think that the smell of her perfume oddly resembled the smell of flowers and soap. I looked at her through my peripheral vision and watched as she leaned forward and took an apple from the bowl of fruit that sat in front of me. It had been the first time in a long time that I had willingly gone to the dining room table by myself to eat. I was much more of a 'eat on the run' type of person. I was surprised to see Ichigo join me as well.

"I'm going out this morning." My fiancée stated as she bit into the red apple. The attention to detail was killing me as I couldn't help but notice the pink of Ichigo's lips form over the skin of the red apple. I listened to her teeth crunch into the flesh and leaned in my chair and replied, "Where do you plan on going?"

She chewed for a few seconds and answered, "I'm volunteering at the animal shelter."

A few more seconds passed and I nodded and picked up my newspaper to finish reading the article on lake front property sales, "Very nice. What got you into doing this?"

"I met a boy at the mall who suggested it." She said nonchalantly and bit into the apple again. Sub-contentiously, I heard the sound of tires screeching on a car as it halted to a stop. I peered at Ichigo from behind the newspaper and blinked. She payed no attention to me and stared at the bite marks she had made in her apple.

"A boy?" I thought aloud.

She looked at me and took another bite of the apple. I watched her nod her head slowly as if it were too hard for me to comprehend, "Yes. A boy. I met him with Lettuce a few day's ago."

I made a 'hmph' sound and went back to my newspaper, "Interesting." I remarked.

"Why do you say it like that?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"Like _that_. Why do you say it almost sarcastically?"

I continued to stare at the words on the newspaper, "What on earth are you talking about?"

I felt her body shift from the chair and my newspaper disappeared as she ripped it from my hands, "You know what I'm talking about," her eyes lowered in annoyance. I rolled my eyes and slipped my hands behind my head.

"I can't be concerned with who you meet with in strange places? After all," I smirked, "you _are_ my fiancée." I liked the sound of that word when I was allowed use it for my entertainment. However instead of the annoyed response I expected her to reply with, her cheeks reddened and she stood from her chair. I watched her pick up the apple and take another bite from it.

"Of course, Ryou." she walked past me, "You don't mind if the driver takes me right?"

I picked back up my paper, "No."

"Good because I didn't want Masaya to have to come get me. This place is a little bit of a hassle to get to." She bit into the apple again and grinned as she walked out the door, her strut as sly as a cat's.

I watched her go until she was gone out the door and down the driveway. I felt my lips curl at the corners of my mouth and immediately realized that my original judgment on the red headed girl was slowly starting to swing. I looked down at the creased newspaper and frowned, "I still don't like her though." I said out loud...

...Ichigo had been right the day we met in confrontation. Not to mention it blew somewhat of my cover when I left her absolutely alone in the mansion. Of course, my first intentions were to let her be so I would never have to deal with her, and after the marriage fell apart, there wouldn't be any hard feelings or problems simply because we never fell in love. But it didn't take long for me to notice that Ichigo didn't take too kindly to being left alone. At all. She made it clear as we stood at the top of the staircase, with her wet hair clinging to her face and neck, her cheeks blared a bright pink, and her eyes bore into me as she angrily explained how she hated the way I treated her.

_"If this gets out,"_ I thought while I listened to her, _"What will my coworkers say? What will Mint say? What will Keiichiro say? Everything I've worked for will be gone."_

I couldn't let people know that Ichigo and I rarely got along. It would have let the cat out of the bag. Not to mention I felt like it'd ruin my reputation. I never wanted people to know of the arranged marriage but I never wanted people to know that our engagement was falling apart based on how I treated my so called love. Being in the arranged marriage had to be kept a secret, that was the intentional plan. However, people couldn't think that our relationship was falling apart on the outside. I could already see the lawyers beginning to pick away at my fortune and the empire I had built up on. Until the day we signed the divorce papers, no one would know...

Mint looked up at me from across my desk and frowned. I glanced at her and returned to my papers before I looked at the computer and inputted notes into it. She cleared her throat and I ignored her. I knew what she was thinking and I wanted to avoid talking about it. However even as I tried to ignore her advances in starting the conversation, I knew it wouldn't be long until she began saying things out loud.

The low murmur of the television in the entertainment room down the hall was the only sound that filled in the quietness of my office. Mint let out a long, exasperated sigh and once again, I tried to ignore it. I listened closely to the sound of my pen gliding over the pad of paper on my desk. The small cursive words that I had practiced so diligently as a kid looked like chicken scratches as I wrote them quickly on the paper.

I focused on the light that came from the computer screen and looked up to notice that my office had grown relatively dim. Mint tapped her fingers on the desk and without a word, I stood up and turned on the lamp to the small room. I stuck my head out into the hall and saw the light from the television flicker in the darkened entertainment room. I could make out Ichigo's silhouette sitting on the small sofa against the wall but that was all I could see. I took the handles to the doors of my office and pulled them inward, shutting them quietly.

"Ryou, seriously." Mint looked at me from where I stood and stared at the doors. I could feel her roll her eyes and eventually I sighed and turned around to face her.

"Mint that's a private matter," I sat back down at my desk and saved the notes I had inputted into the database on the computer. I shut down the laptop and gently slipped the files I had pulled out back into the file cabinet. I saw Mint shake her head.

"You've never hidden things from me before," she narrowed her eyes.

_I never had to fake a marriage before._

"It's something between Ichigo and I."

"When I talked to her, she didn't know what to say. Want to know why?" Mint leaned forward on my desk, "Because you guys clearly do not have an intimate relationship."

"Maybe that's something that we have chosen to keep to ourselves. Maybe we're waiting till our marriage day. And for the record," I narrowed my eyes at my friend, "it's none of your business."

Mint looked taken aback and I suddenly felt a little uneasy. It was true that I never really hid anything from Mint if she asked. But when it contained untrue personal things, I felt like I had to keep everything personally wrapped up so not even I could think about it. What Mint wanted to know, of course had never happened between my fiancée and I simply because we didn't know each other. But because everything was secret, Mint found it strange that we hadn't moved towards the next base in our relationship. She constantly wondered aloud why Ichigo and I never hugged, kissed, or made any sign of affection towards each other to express our love. I constantly replied with that we were shy. Which could have been far from true if I knew how Ichigo reacted to public affection.

I instantly regretted not being home when Mint walked in on Ichigo eating a sandwich on the staircase earlier. Apparently from what Mint said her and my fiancée talked about, Ichigo had made it clear that both her and I never had any sort of intimate relationships together. By the time I came home, Mint had a lot of questions she wanted to ask me, which I had no intentions of answering.

Mint shuffled her papers on her desk, "Well," she pretended to read through a file, "I apologize for intruding on your personal life Ryou."

I sighed, "Oh Mint. C'mon." I watched her stand up and slip the files and papers into her briefcase, "What are you doing?"

"I clearly have hit a soft spot in your little relationship here and I feel like it'd be a good time for me to leave," She swung the long strap over her shoulder.

I stood up from my chair, "Mint I didn't mean it. Please sit down so we can finish. We have to have these documents finished by tomorrow."

"I'll send you my half through an email tonight," she looked angry.

"Mint," I sighed again, "_Miiiiiint._"

She flung up her hand to silence me and in stiff, quick struts, she walked right out of my office. Unfortunately as she exited the office in a angered flurry, she smacked right into Ichigo who was walking by and I watched them both fall flat on their faces. They both let out high pitched squeals as they impacted and slowly, Ichigo landed with a loud _Thunk!_ on her backside while Mint stumbled then fell right onto the hallway wall. Her body curled into a fetal like position as she slipped down onto the carpet. It was incredibly hard to look concerned while I tried so hard to stop myself from laughing.

I first reached to help Mint up because she was closer and she was quickly up and flustered and babbling apologies to Ichigo so fast it made my head spin. I reached down to help my surprised looking fiancée after and realized immediately that if I did it the right way, I could cover up for myself in front of Mint. Sure I had said that we were shy in terms of romance and love, but if I made it look just right, then maybe Mint would forever be off my back about the lack of intimacy in my relationship with Ichigo.

I slipped my hand underneath Ichigo's elbows and hoisted her up. She looked at Mint like she wanted to apologize too but I grabbed her first and pressed her body close to mine. Her expression was far from casual.

I slipped my finger's into Ichigo's hair and cupped the side of her head, tilting her face so that she was forced to look at me, "Are you alright?" I asked and her eyes swam in a clear glaze. She really looked like she had slipped into a day dream. She whispered, "Yes." in a raspy voice and I couldn't help but smile for a second. The next thing that happened was impulse.

I brought her face forward and pressed my lips to hers. It wasn't hard then to continue what I started. I easily moved my lips against hers and she followed, tilting her head as she kissed me back. My fingers slipped deeper into the tangles of her hair and I felt her lean her body closer to mine. Her lips parted slightly and before we could go any further, I heard the clearing of a throat and we pulled away quickly.

It had probably only lasted a few seconds but the aftershock feeling made my brain fog over in a thick haze and I had a hard time recollecting what I had just done. Ichigo stood a good foot away from me and looked embarrassed. Mint had her hands on her hips and a smug look on her face. And Keichiiro-God knows where he came from-looked surprised and almost glad. I coughed and Ichigo turned three shades of red before she apologized to Mint and scrambled down the hall to her room. Three seconds passed and I heard the sound of her door slamming. She was fast.

Mint shrugged her shoulders and sighed, "Okay I'm sorry for intruding again but you were so right about the shy thing," she adjusted the strap on her shoulder and I couldn't help but catch the sarcasm in her voice, "So right."...

Ichigo did not like to read. That was something I observed as I approached her hours later and caught her with a scowl on her face as she read a pamphlet to something. I couldn't help the smug smile that grew on my lips.

"Too hard for you to comprehend?" I asked and crossed my arms.

She looked up from the pamphlet and glared, "Shut it." she shot back. I raised my eyebrows and leaned against the wall to the living room. The light from the small lamp in the corner of the room lit up Ichigo where she sat on the couch with her legs folded Indian style. The old grandfather clock ticked loudly during the silence and interrupted my thoughts.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

She didn't look up from the folded paper, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't show up for dinner," I looked at the pamphlet she was reading but it just contained a bunch of small print that was too small for me to read where I stood on the other side of the room.

"Oh that," She ran a hand over the top of her hair and stopped where her hair was clipped up into a messy, red pile on her head, "I just wasn't very hungry."

"I wanted to talk to you," I stated.

She unclipped her hair and the pile fell into waves the spilled over her shoulders and down to her chest. It was captivating in the light. She looked at me with her auburn eyes and then cast them back to the paper she held in her porcelain colored hands. Without looking at me, she motioned with a nod to the seat next to her on the couch.

I took it and glanced down at what she was reading. It was on school registration. I looked from the pamphlet to her and asked, "Thinking about going to school?"

She immediately hid the pamphlet and shook her head, "It's nothing." her cheeks darkened a shade and she looked back at me, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh well you know," I had tried to think of the words earlier just so the moment I chose to talk to my fiancée, it wouldn't have been awkward in anyway, "I'm sorry if I took you by surprise earlier."

"What are you talking about?" she played with the clip from her hair and opened and closed rapidly.

"About that kiss..." I trailed off, thinking it was reminding her.

"It's okay," her eyes fell to her hands where she opened and closed the clip, "I mean, I didn't think too much of it."

For whatever reason, that statement bothered me and I narrowed my eyes, "You ran away from me and slammed the door to your room."

She gave a desperate look, "Had to pee."

What a liar.

"Okay," I rolled my shoulders and stood up, "Well if it was nothing then I'm just going to get back to my work."

I shoved my hands into my pockets and began to walk from the room. I got all the way to the entrance when I heard Ichigo groan and say, "Wait. Ryou."

I turned and looked at her with my hands still in my pockets.

"I didn't mean it to sound like it was nothing," she uncurled her legs from their folded position and stood up, "Like you, I'm pretty new at this. I mean, I've never been 'engaged' before so things don't come naturally like they would if we were dating or knew each other better or whatever. It did mean something. That kiss. It did. Maybe to you it could've just been a simple kiss but to me, it had deeper meaning. So yeah," she rubbed her arm with her hand, "it took me by surprise, you know, considering we've never done that before," and all of a sudden she looked so amazing standing in the dim light with her messy hair falling off her shoulders and her head cocked to the side, in her baggy pajama bottoms and tight tank top that I couldn't help but smile and cross my arms.

"Maybe we should work on it not taking you by surprise?" I asked with a smirk and saw her face turn a bright red again. I couldn't help the chuckle that rose in my throat and within seconds, I was laughing so hard for the first time in a long time. Ichigo didn't find it funny and rolled her eyes and with a faint smile mumbled, "Jerk."

I couldn't explain what had happened with the kiss. Yes, I believed it was impulse. But that didn't change how I felt afterwards. It was almost refreshing. I had never kissed a girl like that before and the haze that clouded my mind afterwards was different in a sense that I realized that I might have enjoyed it. And that perhaps I was beginning to enjoy being _with_ her.

I laughed as Ichigo walked past me and smacked me on the arm, "You have no idea how big of a jerk you are."

_"Au contraire," _I thought with a smug smile and watched my fiancée strut with her arms crossed from the living room, _"I think I have a clue."_

She looked over her shoulder at me and cocked an eyebrow once she got out into the darkened foyer. It took that one look for me to cock my eyebrow back and watch her slip into the darkness of the foyer. I wasn't sure if once I followed her if I would think that I was changing myself, if every previous thought and plan I had with my fiancée was going to change as well and if maybe it was changing for the better...

… Zakuro Fujiwara emailed me several days later. I sat in my office with Keiichiro and listened to the soft pit-patter of rain on the window. He was reading a magazine in the chair across from me and I took the free five minutes I had to breeze through my personal email. Reading over what my seasonal coworker had to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was invited to a social gathering.

"Mm," I hummed and read over the details, "Zakuro is back in town."

"From Italy?" Keiichiro looked up from his magazine, his glasses at the tip of his nose. I nodded and finished reading the rest of the email.

"Yeah she's coming over to compare rates from clients in Naples," I looked at Keiichiro, "then we're invited to her party on Saturday."

Keiichiro peered through his glasses at his magazine, "'We' as in who?"

"Well," I stared at him, "You, Ichigo, and I?"

He smiled and said, "Interesting." which was what he left me at the day I watched her gracefully glide into the foyer of my mansion. Her struts were slow and captivating as she moved like a cat on the foyers black and white and gold tiled floor. The sound of her high-heels clacking against the floor echoed off the walls and she held her chin high as she gazed around the room, her eyes falling on me as I descended the stairs into the foyer. She tried her best to grin in her expressionless way and I approached her with a smile, "Hello Zakuro."

"Ryou," she replied and pulled the large, floppy sun hat from her head, revealing her long, glossy raven hair. She ran her long fingers through it and glanced around the foyer one more time, "It suits you."

"You think so?" I asked and glanced around also.

"Large yet subtle," she looked back at me, "shall we get started?"

"Allow me to lead the way," I motioned for her to follow me back up the stairs to my office. Once she settled into my office chair, Zakuro opened her briefcase and pulled out an array of color coded files, each with a different name of clients. I pulled out the manila folders from my file cabinet and settled into my own chair. After a few minutes of getting properly prepared and discussing brief clientèle, Zakuro got a spark in her eye and stated tonelessly, "Mint tells me you are engaged."

This made me stop everything I was doing and thinking of and I glanced up at Zakuro to see her gaze had fallen to the folders she was flipping through. I cursed Mint and her big mouth silently and cleared my throat before stacking the folders and pushing them aside, "Uh yes," I answered, "Yeah. We just recently became engaged," I thought up a quick lie, "I proposed a little less than two months ago." I figured that was around the time I sent Ichigo the letter to accept the arranged marriage proposal.

Zakuro's eyes met mine and she crossed one of her legs over the other, "What's the saved date?"

This was something I had a semi clue about it. Keiichiro had suggested late fall depending on how preparations went, maybe even early summer so I shook my head, "We haven't saved one yet but we're thinking maybe in a little while. Early summer to late fall. Around that time."

Zakuro glanced over her shoulder, "I'd like to meet her."

"You would?" I knew she would. Of course she would.

"Mint says she's living with you as well," Zakuro brought her attention back to me then shut the folder and pushed it away from the desk. I assumed she was signaling that she wanted to meet her right away. I pretended not to know that she wanted to and simply answered, "Oh yeah. She moved in after I proposed. We felt it'd be easier after the marriage if we didn't have to worry about moving everything in then."

If Zakuro made any expression whatsoever it was 'annoyed'. I watched her sigh and bring the folder back to her lap where she read over some details, "Well, we might as well get started."

I grinned and glanced back down at my folders. It had nothing to do with the fact that I didn't want Zakuro to meet Ichigo. It was more of the fact that as it was, I wasn't even necessarily alright with the idea that she was my future wife. I was slowly getting over the fact that we were going to be married and in the end, we might be staying together. If I couldn't totally accept that fact, how would anyone else? If I couldn't pull off that we were in total love, would people believe that we were? Or would everything fall through the cracks?

About ten minutes into our work I glanced up once I saw Ichigo pass by the doors to my office. She was in her old, ripped shorts and a snug black t-shirt that was too short and exposed some of her naval. Her hair was down but curled and the long spirals bounced as she took each step. I realized that she was going to her usual 'help the animal shelter' volunteer work and glanced back down at my papers. That was until Zakuro stood from her chair and started towards the doors, "I'll be right back."

I looked up, "Oh. Where are you going?"

She raised her thin eyebrows, "Bathroom."

"Oh," I stood, "Do you need any help finding it?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." And she was out the door, walking down the hall with her long, model like struts.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched her go. Maybe Zakuro wouldn't pass Ichigo in the hall, I thought and leaned over my desk to try and peer out the doors. With no such luck, I stood and walked around my desk. I looked out the doors and saw only Zakuro's retreating figure go towards the bathroom door down the hall. I sighed with relief until the door of the bathroom opened and Ichigo stumbled out, pulling down at the legs of her shorts as they rode up too high on her thighs. I groaned and saw Zakuro take a step back at the appearance of my fiancée. Of course she chose to wear the smallest shirt and shortest shorts to the animal shelter on days of all days. Of course she wanted to look like a hooch while cleaning out cages and changing liter. Of course, of course, of course.

I could only imagine what Zakuro's impression suddenly was as Ichigo turned a shade of red and pulled down at her small shirt. Ichigo looked at Zakuro and apologized for being in the way and Zakuro waved it off as she walked into the restroom. My fiancée glanced down the hall and upon noticing me, nodded to the door and mouthed, _"Who's that?"_

I rolled my eyes and beckoned for her to come closer with the nod of my head. She traipsed up to me and I pulled her into the office and shut the doors, "That is Zakuro Fujiwara."

"Is she important?" Ichigo asked.

"Kind of. She's a coworker who travels from country to country and has lots of very important and famous clients. I was hoping," I checked Ichigo out, "that you'd meet her in a nicer outfit."

"I'm embarrassed," Ichigo pressed her hand to her pink cheek, "I must look really gross compared to what she's wearing."

"Well it is a little on the skimpy side," I picked at her shirt and she smacked my hand away in response, "And it can give a not so amazing first impression."

"I was only going to wear it to the animal shelter," Ichigo stated and crossed her arms.

"Why do you have to look like _that_ at the animal shelter?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Her cheeks blared red, "Just forget it. It gets hot and I have to wash a lot of cages and dog bowls."

"It's been raining recently." I pressed.

"Forget it." Ichigo turned to leave and again almost ran right into Zakuro who was walking in. Ichigo took a step back towards me and Zakuro looked from Ichigo to I and asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"No," I answered for us both and wrapped my arms around Ichigo's shoulders, tugging her towards Zakuro, "Zakuro, this is Ichigo Momomiya. My fiancée."

Ichigo blushed and held out her hand, "How do you do?" she said through clenched teeth.

Zakuro raised her eyebrows and took her hand, "Zakuro Fujiwara," she introduced herself. I sneered and Ichigo shot me a look. I crossed my arms and vouched, "Ignore her outfit Zakuro. She's going to clean some cages and wash dog bowls."

"What?" Zakuro looked at me and Ichigo secretly pinched my thigh, I winced but made no obvious sign of agitation.

"Excuse _him_. I volunteer at the animal shelter and I usually try to wear my grimy clothes so that I don't ruin any of my nicer articles. I'm sorry that you had to see me like this," she smiled, "Trust me. I don't wear outfits like this in public."

"Only if a cute guy is going to be there." I remarked and she pinched me again. I winced.

"Ah. Well it was very nice to meet you," Zakuro nodded to Ichigo and my fiancée smiled and skipped out the door, "You too." She shut the door behind her and Zakuro turned to me.

I shrugged, "Is she not just perfect?"

Zakuro smiled at this and sat back in her chair, "Hopefully I'll see her again at my party on Saturday. She seems," Zakuro opened a folder, "just delightful."...

… When Ichigo returned home later that afternoon, she looked flustered as she stepped into my office. Zakuro had left an hour earlier and I had taken the hour of silence to play spider solitaire on the computer while I waited for the red head to come home. Keiichiro had stepped out to meet with the wedding planner and so when Ichigo walked inside, I realized we were alone for the most part. She took the chair across from me and sighed, "Will you meet Masaya?"

I was taken aback by her sudden question and I leaned in my chair and examined Ichigo. She was pink in the face and her hair that had originally been down when she left was pulled up messily as if she had done it right before she walked in. Her shirt was dirty and had paw prints from where a dog jumped up on her and the shorts she had left with, were now a pair of jeans. I cocked an eyebrow and she leaned forward, pressing her hands to her knees.

"Why?" I asked. Did I have to be concerned about something?

She groaned, "Please? It'll be fun. We'll go to lunch or something."

I cocked an eyebrow, "'Lunch or something?' Why?"

"Why do you have to do that? Why can't you just say, 'Sure Ichigo. Sounds like a plan!'" She tried so hard to stop the whine that was taking an edge on her words. Why was she suddenly so desperate for me to do something as frivolous as meeting some kid she volunteered with?

"Sure Ichigo," I said slowly, "Sounds like a plan."

"Is that a yes?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe." I looked at my spider solitaire game.

"Ryou!" She stood up, her eyebrows treaded together as she pouted.

"Ichigo," I sang back and didn't look at her.

"Please, he's like my friend and he wanted to meet you," She walked over to the side of my chair and glanced what I was doing on the computer screen. She sighed and grabbed the mouse, clicking off the game. I looked up and rolled my eyes.

"This is so stupid Ichigo, why would I want to meet your friend?"

"It'll be fun."

"For who?"

"For us!"

I flicked a paper clip on my desk and shrugged my shoulders, "This is ridiculous. Whatever. Yeah. I'll meet your little boyfriend."

She sighed with content, "Thanks Ryou."

"Whatever."

She smiled and leaned down so she was right up next to my ear. I leaned my head away and tried to glance at her with my peripheral vision but before I could she pecked my cheek and skipped out the door. I sighed loudly and called, "We have a party on Saturday to get to so don't think about making this an all day affair."

"I wont," she called back and skipped down the hall. I grumpily stood up from my desk and walked to the window. I ran my hand over my cheek where she had kissed me and watched as a car pulled up to the curved curb in front of the mansion. Keiichiro got out and pulled a long white bag from the car. He held it with both hands and after struggling to shut the door, Ichigo came running out with her hands open. He nodded to the car door and she shut it behind him before she walked back to him and sat her hand on the bag. Keiichiro nodded happily and Ichigo clapped her hands and bounced before she lifted the end of the bag and revealed the white hem of a gown within. They both broke out into a happy laughter and I stepped away from the window.

Everything was suddenly becoming all too real to the fact that Ichigo and I were going to be married. I rubbed my cheek again and looked at the computer on my desk, _"And maybe,"_ I thought, _"it's high time I start taking it seriously."_....

..._to be continued_...

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A/N: Uggggh. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

So! Ryou has developed _feelings_ for Ichigo, or so that's what I think. And now he's starting to reconsider what he was originally thinking. I feel like this chapter may need some more explaining but that's what future chapters are for! So anyways, I read through this chapter once. Not too many details or personal thoughts, we'll swing back into that later. I had to rewrite this chapter twice and I'm putting a nail in it, it's done. If there **are** confusing moments, please tell me. It helps me write a better chapter later on. :)

I'd like to thank my reviewers personally. Thank you all, I get a big ol' swelled heart when I read what you say. Here's a little heart for you all: *heart* 3

Especially Starcalista. Your review was helpful to making me kind of look more closely at how I have the characters portray their feelings in contrast with how they act. I'll be sure to keep what you said in mind so when I write, I'll try to be more clear with what the character is expressing. :) Thank you!

Keep it up everyone! I love to hear what you say! You know the drill! See you next chapter.

Kristen


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Just a forewarning, this is a _loooong_ chapter that I did not choose to shorten up. Be sure to get comfy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ichigo's POV.._

Something was buzzing. And it wasn't the familiar flutter of a bee that had landed smack dab in the middle of the honey jar next to my cup of tea. It was a voice, low and drowning in my ears. I stared at the plate in the middle of the white, wrought-iron table as the buzzing grew louder. I could see the bee in the honey, struggling to free itself from the sap sugar like a man struggling in quicksand. The light cast a halo colored shadow from the jar and I couldn't believe how fixated I was on a simple jar of honey. The buzzing grew and grew in volume and I suddenly remembered why I had focused my attention on the bee drowning in the honey in the first place.

"...And the two were sandwiched together!" laughed Masaya as he smacked his hands together as if he were praying. My eyes flickered up from the honey and fell to Masaya, the young, handsome man with the smile that would make anyone melt. An awkward silence fell over the table as he finished his story and I glanced at Ryou, who sat the the right of me.

He rubbed his chin and nodded, "Fascinating."

I wanted to die right there.

From the moment Masaya, Ryou, and I sat at the café table downtown, I knew that the unsettling atmosphere would lead to one heck of an awkward breakfast. I could hear the rattling of the tea and coffee cups being sat back down on their plates and I quickly picked mine up, sipping the tea rather unladylike loudly. Masaya cleared his throat awkwardly and continued on, "Thank you for allowing me to join you both in breakfast today, Ryou."

Ryou's arm rested over the shoulder of my chair and I could feel him grinning as he spoke, "Our pleasure Masaya. Ichigo really sounds like she enjoys your friendship."

Masaya nodded and I looked up from behind my teacup to hear him speak the dreadful words that I regretted so badly feeding to him, "I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet Ichigo's _brother_. It would have been rude of me since we are such close friends."

I choked. Again. I choked _once _again on the same damn cup of tea because every time the subject was brought up, I couldn't help the reaction that came spitting up through my mouth. Ryou glanced at me and smiled. I could tell he was enjoying the little lie that had been blown way out of proportion. I sat my cup down as Masaya asked if I was alright.

"Fine," I answered and ignored the fire in my cheeks, "I'm fine."

Ryou smirked and I glanced at him before I looked away. I knew he could tell that I was pretty much beyond the point of embarrassment. Not only had he got the smack in the face of knowing that I had lied to Masaya about him being my fiancé but now there was no turning back since Masaya was in full blown believe mode.

_"How did this happen to me!?" _I thought and watched Masaya try to engage in yet another small talk conversation starter story.

It had happened the day I decided that I would volunteer at the animal shelter. Although part of me to begin with did not want to ever see or speak to Masaya ever again simply because I felt like somehow being near him would cause some sort of trouble, I decided it the morning I watched Ryou leave for work. I knew we had been working on our relationship and he was trying much harder and had even hired Lettuce as my friend, but I realized I still was lonesome watching him walk out the door.

I lived in the huge mansion by myself on the days Lettuce had school and couldn't take me out to visit all the mysteries the town I was living in had. It was there when Ryou smiled at me and awkwardly tried to do some husbandly goodbye hug thing where I decided that I needed a hobby. Any kind of hobby would have worked, just a hobby that kept me busy while he was away. I recalled what Masaya had suggested at the pet store and called the shelter the second Ryou was out the door.

I started working the next morning at Let's. Let's was the name of the woman who had originally built the shelter when the town just barely began to thrive in the late, late eighteen-hundreds. I met Let's great niece who was currently running the place as she showed me about the grounds.

"And this is pretty much it," She explained, "Now I know you told me that Masaya was the one who recommended this shelter as a place to volunteer at so you'll be starting tomorrow with him as sort of your trainer."

"Sounds great," I smiled.

And that was where I found myself the first day with Masaya. Although we were spraying out dog cages and cleaning litter boxes and scooping up who-knows-what, I still found that being around any form of human contact and not being cooped up in the mansion was about a hundred times better. As the weekends passed and Masaya and I hung out more and more, I noticed how close our friendship was actually blossoming.

"So Ichigo?" he asked one breezy afternoon.

"Hmm." I hummed and relaxed in the grass of the dog area. I had just finished my shift at the shelter and was waiting for the next group to come in and pick up from where Masaya and I had left off.

"Where do you live?" he asked, still working on fixing a part of a cage that had been broken.

"Oh," I nodded to the hills, "there."

"Wow. Lake front property huh? That's a pretty area." he commented.

I scratched the back of my head, wondering why everyone kept talking about the lake. Since I had moved in with Ryou, I had never once seen or heard the lake.

"Yeah it's nice. I'm living with Ryou." I laughed inwardly, forgetting that I had never mentioned Ryou to Masaya before. Masaya stopped and looked at me.

"Who is Ryou?" he asked.

"Oh," I looked at him and noticed how rigid he had gone. His posture was no longer loose and relaxed but rather straight and tense. I picked up on his body language and wasn't entirely sure if breaking the news about my engagement to Ryou would have been entirely appropriate at the moment. I picked a blade of grass and twirled it between my fingers before I bit my bottom lip and blurted quickly, "He's my brother!"

Masaya instantly relaxed and smiled, "You have a brother? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

A nervous laugh erupted from my throat, "Oh uh. I don't know."

"Well," he swiped his hands on his jeans, "since the rainy days look like they have stopped, we should consider getting together. Your brother too. I'd love to meet him."

I laughed again, "Sure."

"How about next weekend? Saturday morning? We can switch shifts with someone else." Masaya smiled his 'I'm going to make you melt' smile and I sighed inwardly as I agreed with a slow nod of my head. And to be honest, I couldn't believe that the plan had actually gone through. Part of me thought that it would be one of those situations where the plans were made but never followed through with. It was only until he had reminded me the day before that I got back to Ryou's place as fast as I could so I could ask him.

I had ran so fast into the mansion that I slipped and ripped the back of my shorts. After swearing profusely and changing into a dirty pair of jeans, I took back off into Ryou's room to ask.

_"Gawd!" _I thought at the time, panting from running around so quickly, _"Why does he have to be so stubborn?" _I listened to him groan and complain about not wanting to meet some kid I worked with. His eyes were focused on something on the computer and I couldn't help but notice how hot it was in his office. I sat on the chair and fanned my burning cheeks, regretting the jog I had just took around the mansion. But I was serious about him meeting Masaya, it was the plan to begin with. I sighed inwardly and started to feel like I was back at home again, working up a whine on the edge of my words.

Relief had washed over me when he answered yes in the end and I felt my heart swell with happiness. But when I had completely forgotten that I told Masaya that Ryou was my brother, I got the whiff of Ryou's amusement and confusion after Masaya had mentioned, "It's so nice to finally meet Ichigo's brother." as they shook hands that morning. Ryou had clearly taken to the thought that I had feelings for Masaya so I could tell what he was thinking after we were seated at our table. Regret settled in my chest and I hid behind the bangs of my hair, hoping that if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me.

Ryou's arm left the shoulders of my chair as he stretched and he cleared his throat once Masaya had finished his story, "Well Masaya, I hate to cut this short but I have to get to work." I felt him shift in his chair as he looked at me and asked, "Are you going to stay? I'll have the driver pick you up after he drops me off."

I peeked at him from behind the strands of my bangs and nodded, "Yeah I'll wait for the food to actually _get_ here before I decide to leave."

I saw him smirk, "Remember the party tonight."

"Got it."

I felt his fingers brush the red hair from my eyes and our eyes met; my brown to his icy blue. He smiled softy, something I didn't see him do often before his fingers ran along my cheek, barely brushing the tips of my skin. His warm fingers settled underneath my chin, his thumb grazed the side of my jaw and he tilted my chin up, leaning my face closer to his before he leaned forward. His forehead pressed gently against mine, our eyes locked in a gaze that I had no idea how to break. I could feel his warm breath as his lips parted and my eyes fluttered shut. His nose brushed against mine, his hand leading my face towards his as he tilted his head. Then his warm lips met mine, soft and gentle against mine. He leaned deeper in and I returned the kiss, leaning closer in to deepen it as well. My lips parted slightly as I leaned back, tilting my head to the opposite side before my lips returned back to his. I felt my hand trail up his shoulder, my fingers pressing into the jacket his was wearing, before I settled in on the back of his shoulder blade. I absentmindedly pressed him closer, falling deeper into the kiss, feeling the sensation overwhelm in my chest.

Until he pulled away and ended it. The heat instantly gathered in my cheeks as I realized what had just happened. Ryou turned his attention to Masaya-who looked like he had seriously just seen a chupacabra or ghost- and said, "Sibling kiss." before he got up and left the table. I turned in my chair to watch him go and he tossed his hand over his shoulder in a wave as he left the premises of the outside restaurant.

I looked back at Masaya and there was only silence as our eyes locked in an unbelieving staring contest. I couldn't believe the romance hidden behind the kiss I actually did in _public _with Ryou. And he couldn't believe I actually kissed my "brother". There were another few seconds of silence before the air in Masaya's lungs left in a sigh and he said, "I've never met anyone who kisses their sibling like _that._ You two must be really close."

I stared for another second before I started heaving in air from laughing. I laughed so hard that Masaya was forced to join in awkwardly, as if he didn't understand what was so funny. I wanted to tell him the truth then, that I had been lying about Ryou being my brother. But as I started to calm down, I could tell he was still totally clueless and probably wouldn't have appreciated the lie. I tilted my head and sighed, knowing that it was going to be tough digging myself out of the mess I had buried myself in...

… The dress that Keiichiro had picked out was no cute, pink summer dress that I had been expecting. I stood there, eyes wide at the sleek, sexy, black cocktail dress that laid neatly over the chaise at the end of my bed. I stared long, not in horror but in surprise. I couldn't believe that Keiichiro for a second thought that the dress he had picked out would have been the right one for me. I backed away from the chaise, slowly until I reached the doors of my room. I opened one of the doors, my body still facing the dress, and leaned my head out the door.

"Keiichiro?" I called. I knew he couldn't have been far.

"Keiichiro!" I called a little louder.

"Yes?" he sang from down the hall, "Do you need help zipping up?"

"Can I have a word with you?" I asked as he strode closer. He entered my room and glanced down at my attire. I was still in my jeans and brown sweater that I had worn that morning to the breakfast with Masaya and Ryou.

"Why aren't you getting ready yet?" he asked and crossed his arms.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing to the chaise.

"That's a chaise, commonly known as a lounge chair. But recently I've noticed you've been using it as a dumping ground for your dirty clothes even though there's a hamper in the bathroom." He smiled wickedly and eyed me.

I glared in response, "Not the chair! The dress! What's with the dress? I thought we decided on something summery and light and pretty? Not something dark and sexy and so completely older than I am."

Keiichiro rolled his eyes, "Well what happened was, I went to the dress store to pick it up and realized that the dress looked a little three year oldish. So I chose something else."

"Yeah well do I look, twenty something years oldish?" I snapped and sighed, "I can't wear that. I wouldn't look good in it."

"Sure you would," Keiichiro wrapped his arm around my shoulders, "that's why I picked it out. Trust me Ichigo, have I ever lied to you before?"

I shot him a look, recalling the first time he had lied to me and he waved his hand to clear the air, "Besides the whole 'wedding planner on a Sunday' mistake a while back. Blah, blah, blah. Look! Look at this dress," he dragged me towards the dress laying on the chaise, "You have the body for this dress. You have to wear the dress, not have the dress wear you."

I shot him another look and he shook his head, "The point of the matter is, just try it on princess and you'll see that it'll work out. My taste is impeccable." he kissed the tips of his fingers and threw his open hand in the air, "You saw the wedding dress. You know it is."

I sighed again but in defeat this time. Everything Keiichiro had done for me and the wedding had been a spot on victor. I loved everything from the colors, to the flower arrangements, and to the biggest thing of all, the dress. I didn't really want to go to wedding store after wedding store trying on dresses like those ladies did on those bride television shows. I wanted something amazing and that was it. Something just simply amazing, like everyone else wanted. When I told Keiichiro that, he rubbed his chin for a minute, smiled with that familiar twinkle in his eye and said, "I know."

And he was right. The dress he had brought home yesterday had been something I had been looking forward to for the longest time. He showed me a similar dress over the Internet and promised that what he was going to bring home would be the absolute perfect dress for me. Although as I ran outside to help him yesterday, he refused to let me touch the gown at all. It wasn't until that night when the mansion had gone quiet that he let me take a gander at the dress.

My breath caught in my throat at dress on the dress-form mannequin in his studio.

"Oh my..." my voice trailed off as I stared, "It is perfect!"

I smiled and stepped forward, running the back of my fingers over the white satin. The dress was white, almost an ivory with a soft satin fabric. It was a strapless, A-line style gown with a chapel train. The back of the dress was corset laced and had a pink ribbon that tied right underneath the bust. The top of the full skirt was a pinched ruffle texture that faded into a normal straight skirt towards the ends. It was the most amazing wedding dress I had ever seen. What was most hard to take in was that it was _mine_. It was in that first moment as I stared at the dress that I really took in the fact that I was going to be marrying Ryou Shirogane.

"Oh my gawd," I whispered and suddenly felt like I couldn't believe that I was standing in his house, living under his roof, eating his food, talking to him, _kissing_ him, being what we called, "engaged". Like suddenly everything had transformed out of some sort of dream and I was now only realizing that I was in reality.

It was the biggest smack in the face. And I was only now starting to loft from that thought process to realize that I had to grow up and be married to Ryou Shirogane for real. I looked up at Keiichiro and stepped forward, getting a better look at the black cocktail dress that laid delicately over the top of the chaise.

It was black, strapless, and went up to probably my mid-thigh. It wasn't satin or even cotton and as I ran the fabric in-between my fingers, I realized that it had a sort of polyester feeling. I picked it up and looked at the back. To my great surprise, I found that it was accented by a back bustle with silver accents. If it hadn't been, then the dress would have been a simply, fitted tube dress. With the bustle however, the dress was more than just sexy, it had a touch of elegance. I smiled and looked at Keiichiro. He lifted an eyebrow and said, "See? What did I tell you?"...

...I twirled the last strand of dark crimson hair around the curling iron and let the spiral fall down onto my chest. I heaved a sigh and stared at myself in the mirror. For all the effort I had put into looking nice for the party, I hoped that everything went smoothly. I dabbed a small amount of red lipstick on my lips, giving them a faint pink appearance and stood up from the stool to the seated vanity. I took a look at myself in the full length mirror and grinned, satisfied with my appearance. The silver heeled, tie around the ankle sandals that I brought from home were the perfect touch, along with the silver bangle bracelets my mom had gotten me for my birthday last year. I had some hoop earrings in my ears and a simple sterling silver double necklace around my neck. I rested my hands on my hips and decided that I was good to go.

As I strutted from my room, Keiichiro whistled from where he stood in the hallway. He was wearing jeans and The Smith's band t-shirt. I frowned, "What are you wearing?"

He looked down at himself, "Clothing."

"Uh, no I mean, why aren't _you _dressed up? This is a formal party right?" I wobbled in my heels. It had been a long time since I last wore them.

"All of Zakuro Fujiwara's parties are formal," Keiichiro laughed, "but I'm not going."

"What! Why?" I took a few steps toward him.

"Because her parties are formal," He mused. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You're not going because you have to dress up?" I asked.

"They're always they same. She says hi to everyone then disappears, everyone has a few drinks, the band plays a few songs, there are appetizers passed around, the drunk couple makes out on the balcony, I stand next to Ryou while he smiles and nods at people and begs to let him go home, and someone always trips and falls during the dances." Keiichiro sighed, "Too much, too much. That's why this year, I get to take a break and you princess get to go in my place." A wide smile broke out across his face.

"No! Keiichiro," I whined, "What if Ryou leaves me? What if I get lost? Who will I talk to?" I pressed my hands to my perfectly foundation painted face in horror at the thoughts.

"You'll do _fiiiine,_" Keiichiro led me towards the stairs, "besides I doubt any of that stuff will happen to you."

"Huh?" I looked at him.

"Oh nothing," he looked at the staircase that led into the foyer, "look, he's waiting."

And sure enough, there stood Ryou at the end of the foyer. His back was to the staircase while his hands rested in the pockets of his black tux. He checked the watch around his wrist and stuck his hand back in his pocket. Through the windows, I could see the black Lincoln town car pull up to the front of the mansion. With it still light out, I had sudden memories of junior prom and a cage of butterflies were let loose in my stomach. I held onto the banister to the staircase and made my first few steps down the stairs.

"Have fun," Keiichiro sang behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and continued to slowly descend down the marble steps. When I glanced back around, Ryou had turned towards me. Once we made eye contact, he grinned and I felt light headed. Since our very first kiss a few days previous, whenever I saw Ryou, I got the same feeling I got whenever I knew something amazing was going to happen in a movie. My heart raced and my chest squeezed with such an overwhelming feeling that I had a horrible time describing it. I knew I wasn't _in_ love with Ryou, but I was pretty sure I liked him. A lot.

I smiled and stepped down onto the last step. Unfortunately that was where the omen to the horrible night began. As I went to step off the step, Ryou held out his hand for me to take. Since I was so focused on taking his hand, I wasn't paying attention to that last step and the bottom of my heel slipped. I fell backwards, clawed onto the front of Ryou's jacket, and ripped him down with me.

I laid there on my back, the corners of the steps of the marble staircase pressed into my back and shoulder blades. On top of me, Ryou had his head pressed against my stomach, his cheek resting against my bellybutton. He sighed loudly and I couldn't help the blush that crept up into my cheeks. I could not _believe _how big of a klutz I was that I had just fallen on the last step to the stairs that I had run up and down dozens of times before.

I sat up and Ryou used his arms to hold himself up above me. I avoided eye contact with him until he stood up and held out his hand for me to take. I took it while I stared at the floor and he heaved me up. After a few seconds, I heard Ryou snort and I glanced up.

He grinned, humor plastered on his face, "Well let's look at you. Any damage?"

"Uh," I glanced down at myself, "no? I think?"

He made a circle with his forefinger, "Let's see."

I spun and looked over my shoulder as best I could at my backside. He looked me up from my toes to my head and nodded, "I think you survived."

I smiled, embarrassed and said, "Okay now you."

Ryou looked down at himself and held out his arms, doing a half spin. I brushed some of the light dust from the floor off the side of his pants and motioned for him to turn back towards me. He did and I frowned.

"What?" he asked, curious about my expression.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"What?" he sounded a little more serious.

"That looks terrible!" I shook my head.

"What!" he looked down.

"What are we going to do?" I looked at him.

"Please tell me you're kidding?" he lifted an eyebrow.

I smiled and reached up to fix the bow tie to his shirt, "Your bow tie is tilted."

I jiggled it to the side until it was secure in its place and smiled at my handy work. Leaning back to get a good look at my fiancé, I noted how handsome he looked in his suit. His hair, which normally had his bangs hanging in the front of his eyes, was slicked back, his eyes were bright and alluring, his tux was dark and gave him that famous James Bond look. I sat my hand on my waist, "You look really handsome."

He smirked and whipped his hand through his hair, "I know."

Then the moment was ruined and I rolled my eyes, _"Egotistical jerk."_ I thought and walked past him to the front door. He laughed and followed suit, grabbing open the door to the mansion and slinging it open for me. I glanced at him as I strutted by and he smirked, obviously amused with his little remark. I looked away and walked out to the Lincoln where the driver held open the door to the back seat.

Ryou got in next to me and leaned down into his seat. Once the car started and the driver drove slowly to the front of the black gates, Ryou looked at me, "But for the record," he started and I looked at him, "you look about a hundred times better."...

...I didn't know who Ryou was trying to fool when he said that Zakuro lived near by. About ten minutes into the drive, I was curious how far we were going and when I asked my fiancé he simply shrugged in response and stated, "Not too far." Which had to be the biggest lie yet. An hour later, the sun had gone down and we were still driving.

"Loyd's storage garage," Ryou said tonelessly and pressed his finger to the window. I jolted up in my seat and craned my neck over my shoulder to see the sign from out the window.

"Where?" I questioned, peering in the distancing horizon.

"It was back there," he replied.

"No it wasn't. You're lying to win!" I glared.

"Market foods plus," he pointed at the window again as we drove by the huge sign. My mouth fell open and he turned to me with a smug smile, "You're going to lose."

"Because you cheat." I huffed.

"I haven't cheated at all. You simply don't see the same signs I see." He retorted.

Since the ride was the longest ride possible to Zakuro's "near by home", I had managed to talk Ryou into playing a game, any game that would have made the time go by faster. Since the Alphabet game was only one I could think of (although Ryou stated he had never played it before) we settled for that. Unfortunately I felt as if Ryou was better at the game then he had led on. I crossed one leg over the other and turned back to my side of the car, where I stared at the brick wall that hid the freeway.

"Norman's pool supplies," he said.

"I don't _want_ to play anymore." I grumbled.

I felt Ryou shift in his seat, "Why not?" he asked.

"Because," I felt like a four year old, "I can't see anything but a brick wall."

"It'll go away."

"I just don't want to play anymore." I was such a sore loser when it came to sports and games.

"Alright," Ryou playfully flicked the side of my head and I turned to glare, "I have gone blind and cannot see anything. Not even all the billboards. I guess we can't play anymore."

I stared at him, curious to what he was doing.

"But I know the regimen. Once the brick wall is gone, my eyesight will come back."

"Ryou?" I smiled once I realized he had decided to wait for the brick wall to end before we continued playing. He leaned down in his seat and crossed his arms. His eyes fluttered shut and he said, "I have also lost all hearing. I am deaf and blind. Talking to me will be useless."

"Thank you," I thanked him anyways and leaned my head onto his shoulder, shutting my eyes as well.

"Whatever," he mumbled and let my head rest on his shoulder. But a few minutes later, I had drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew was that I was being shaken awake. I sat up and glanced around with confusion, my sense of memory completely shot. Ryou was outside the car on my side with the door open. I was all too aware to the fact that it was practically _freezing_ outside and I squealed, scooting away from the open door.

"We're here Ichigo," Ryou leaned into the car.

"Wha..." I squinted and slurred, "Where?"

"Zakuro's." He answered and wrapped his hand around my wrist. All the memories came flooding back and I looked around the car, grabbing my purse and shawl that had gotten thrown in last minute. I eased myself into the cold air and groaned.

"Where are we that it is so cold?" I asked, stepping out onto the driveway. I turned and looked at the house that stood brightly light in front of me. My breath flew from my mouth and I murmured, "Oh wow..."

"She lives right on the shore so you can see the beach from here. It's usually colder when you live closer to the beach." Ryou answered and shut the door to the Lincoln. He waved off the driver and the car pulled away as we began our way up to the front. My eyes couldn't tear from Zakuro's beautiful beach house. It was a two story, oddly structured home made practically of glass. Every light was lit up in her home, illuminating practically every detail. One wall of her home was made entirely of glass, exposing the party of people inside who drank and laughed loudly. The rest of Zakuro's home was built with white squares and white walls. We walked up to the glass door where Zakuro met us. She opened the door with her free hand while the other held a delicate cup of champagne colored liquid.

"Glad you could make it," She greeted and pulled open the door to let us in. I had to admit that although Zakuro's house was something to behold, Zakuro herself was a stunning looking woman. She was dressed in a long halter top black and white striped floppy, summer dress. White toes poked out from beneath her dress where she walked around barefoot. Her long raven hair laid straight and glossy against her shoulders while a white flower pulled back a few strands. I was instantly self conscious of my appearance.

Ryou stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, "Well you know, we never miss a good party."

Zakuro nodded and turned her attention to me, "Nice to see you again Ichigo."

I smiled nervously, remembering our first embarrassing meeting, "You too Zakuro. Thanks for inviting me."

"Well," Zakuro shut the door, "go enjoy yourselves." And with nothing more, she strolled away, up the spiral staircase that was to the left of the door. I looked at Ryou as he was absorbed into the crowd and followed after him. He turned back to look at me and reached out his hand. I grasped it and was pulled through a group of people.

He led me to a clearing by the living room and sighed, "Why are there so many people?"

"Uh," I looked around and had to admit that there were a lot of people.

"Ryou!" We heard someone scream from within the party and a woman in all white stood in a group of people, waving him over.

"Oh here we go..." He groaned and turned away. I continued to stare and watched as the blond in a white cocktail dress came bounding over to my fiancé.

"Ryou! Come on. You _have _to meet these guys." She took hold of his arm and began to tug, "Hey! Don't ignore me. Come on let's go. They're perfect for your company."

Ryou sighed and glanced at me, "Do you mind waiting here just a second?"

"Huh? Oh sure. No problem." I answered and watched him get dragged away. Then I was instantly all to aware to the fact that I was standing alone at a party.

_"My worst nightmare," _I thought bitterly and glanced around. Not a single face looked familiar but it wasn't like I was expecting to know anyone besides Ryou and Zakuro. I turned at a 180 degree angle and found myself face to face with the kitchen door. I pushed past it and walked in. About a dozen people were running around in a frantic flurry of the pristine kitchen, and every one of them were either wearing a chef hat or carrying a platter of hors d'œuvres. Fortunately no one seemed to notice that I had entered in the chaos and I spotted the deck that curved around the backside of the kitchen. I decided to make my way there and sidestepped people who were pushing past me as they hurried about the area.

I sped up my pace, almost slipping on something that was spilled on the tile floor, and rushed to the doors to the deck. I ripped open the sliding doors and stepped out onto the white wood floor. I shut the doors and turned around only to get the harsh reality that the beach breeze was like an icy wind.

"C_ooooold!_" I shivered and glanced around. One person in a chef hat leaned against the far end of deck railing, the red dot of a lit cigarette smoldering in the crux of his forefinger and middle finger. He looked up at me and I laughed weakly before I sidestepped away. Gripping my arms from the cold weather, I walked towards the other end of the deck, where it curved around the side of the house. Luckily, there were stairs that led to the second story balcony and I ran up them.

I stepped up onto the balcony and almost laughed at the sight in front of me. Sure enough a couple was wrapped around one another, making out in the shadows. I thought of Keiichiro and what he told me and shook my head before I approached the glass doors.

The party had obviously continued on the second level of the house because a group of people sat on a white leather sectional sofa. Zakuro sat in the middle with her arms crossed and her head lowered. The grip of people that sat close to her and stood in front of her chatted away, as if they didn't get it. Zakuro clearly looked like she didn't want to be bothered by the group of people and was stuck in the middle of all of them with no escape.

I stepped inside the room and little if any noticed I had entered. Zakuro, however, did and I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to be totally _gone _and out of there_._ Lucky for her though, I was just the scapegoat that would send them away. She looked at me and I could almost see the faint smile hidden in her eyes.

As if expecting it, I backed away slowly from the door. She was quick and deciding that she didn't want to let the opportunity get away, she flew up from her seat, "Well," she called in her monotone voice, making it sound awkward, "if it isn't Ryou Shirogane's fiancée." The group of people turned to look at me and almost in unison said, "What?"

_"Oh shit!" _I thought and regretted leaving my spot downstairs where I was supposed to be waiting for Ryou.

A man in a blue corduroy suit grabbed me by the hand and laughed loudly, "Oh so you're the lucky woman!" he shook my hand a little too aggressively, "Congratulations. Congratulations!"

A woman with a cup of red wine swayed past me, "Oh really? You're his fiancée? How did you two meet then?"

"Uh," I glanced around at the building group of people. _"Oh my gawd!"_ I looked in the direction of Zakuro but she was long gone.

"I didn't even know Ryou was dating anyone," Someone said.

"Who knew he was interested in red heads." another one laughed.

I laughed nervously and held up my hands defensively. I scooted along the glass wall and pointed to some random person in the crowd, "Oh my goodness is that Madame Devaux?"

Most if not all turned to look. In no time flat, I took off into the crowd of people and disappeared down a vacant hall. I glanced over my shoulder and laughed at my wittiness. I trotted down the hall and spotted a door that was half open. Curious, I glanced in the room. It was dark for the most part except for the dim light in the corner of the room where Zakuro sat. Her chin rested on her knees as she sat on a large, comfortable looking chair. She had a book balanced on the arm of the chair, underneath the light. She licked her fingers before she went to turn a page.

Without knocking, I entered the room, "Hey!" I shouted. Zakuro glanced up and stood from her chair quickly, the book falling to the floor in the process.

"Shhh!" she hissed and motioned with her hand, "Shut the door."

I turned around and shut it before I looked back at her. She was crouching down on the floor to pick up the book and looked up at me as I approached.

"What was that all about?" I asked, referring to the scapegoat she had made out of me.

She turned her attention back to the book and picked it up, "Sorry." was all she said as she stood back up and returned to the same position on her chair.

"Sorry? Zakuro why did you do that?" I asked.

"Because I didn't want to be around those people." she answered truthfully. She flipped the pages in the book and looked at me, "Thank you though. I didn't know how much longer I was going to last."

"What made you think I wanted to talk to those people?" I crossed my arms.

She had a blank stare on her face, "I didn't."

"Oh my gosh," I sighed and sat down on the floor, not caring that I was in a dress, "I don't even think Ryou wanted people to know about it like this."

Zakuro was silent for a few seconds and I went on, "He always made it seem so discreet. Like it was something we couldn't even talk about around other people. And all of a sudden he's told you and Lettuce knows and Mint was the first and his friend at work and the lady downstairs and oh my goodness." I looked at Zakuro, "It's just hard to tell what he wants."

"Why are you marrying him?" Zakuro asked.

I shrugged, "I love him." I knew it was a lie. I didn't even know Ryou that well to begin with. It had only been a few months since we had began to build up on our relationship. But I knew that Ryou didn't want to let people know that it was an arranged marriage. It was as if he thought it was shameful. It had always felt like that to me from him.

"I don't think so," Zakuro looked at her book.

"What do you mean?"

"You two don't seem to be _in_ love with one another." She stated.

"We are." I retorted. How could she know?

"I don't really get the gist of that." She replied.

"We are." I said again, a little more harshly.

"Prove it," She looked up from her book, her dark eyes sparking with a hidden delight.

"How?"

"Stay the night with him. As it is, you two don't even really act like an engaged couple. If you two could last in the same room an entire night, then you might change my mind. Because from the looks of it, you two are just roommates. And to add to it, where is he now? Not with you. So much for being a couple." Her eyes fell back to the book.

I had to admit that her words stung much more than they should have. Not since I moved to Ryou's had anyone ever been so harsh about the way Ryou and I acted. I knew we never acted very couple like. Mint pointed it out, Lettuce pointed it out, and even Keiichiro had the audacity to poke fun that we never did anything ever. And that really had to do with the fact that we didn't know each other. We kissed. Twice. In fact our first kiss had been the first day I went and volunteered at the animal shelter. I had been so taken aback and so surprised when Ryou had grabbed my face and pressed his lips to mine that once it was over, I ran as fast as I could back to my room. I must've dwelt on the kiss for hours after until Ryou came to talk to me.

Either way I only stared at Zakuro after I realized what she had said.

"What? That's ridiculous. How would you even know we stayed together?" I asked.

"Stay here." She droned.

"He wont do it," I replied.

The side of her lip twitched upward, "Make him."

… I slipped next to Ryou's side as he stood in the corner of the room. The group he had originally been talking to had dissipated to a lingering two or three people. His eyes fell to me and he smiled, grateful that I had come to rescue him. I thought maybe he had been waiting for that since the blond lady had drug him into the group of people in the first place. I grinned and he nodded to the two men who had rested their eyes on me, "Excuse me gentlemen." he excused himself and pressed his hand to the small of my back.

Once we were far enough, he leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Where have you been?"

"I found Zakuro." I looked at the band playing in the far corner of the dining room. It was soft, slow, and elegant. A couple of people had gathered to listen while some had paired together to dance on the hardwood floor.

"Hmph," he snorted, "Not surprising that she's hiding out. I am surprised her posse hasn't tried to tie her down in a room for a few hours though."

"What have you been up to?" I asked as we stood to listen to the band.

"Talking to people who are interested in the company." He answered.

"Oh."

"Something the matter?" his hands were in his pockets.

"Do you wanna dance?" I asked and looked up at him.

Ryou lifted an eyebrow, "You want to dance?"

I glanced back at the band. It wasn't necessarily that I did want to dance since I was notorious for my two left feet but I wanted anything to think about than the suggestion I was suppose to propose to Ryou. When Zakuro had first suggested that I ask Ryou, I didn't think it would have been that big of a deal. Ryou _was_ my fiancé. Could it have been harmful if I did sleep in the same bed as him? I didn't think so simply because the furthest we had ever gone was our lips touching. It didn't seem like such a big deal to ask or in Zakuro's case "make him" but as the time grew near, butterflies fluttered about in my stomach.

I crossed my arms and shrugged my bare shoulders. I had never danced with anyone at a party before. It was never really an opportunity that was presented. I was always the girl who watched other couples slow dance because I was never in a serious relationship with anyone at the time.

"If you want to, just say it." He pressed.

"I dunno," I felt my cheeks begin to burn, "No. No. Never mind, I don't."

He sighed, annoyed and pulled me aside from the band and group of people who had crowded around to listen.

"Is something the matter at all?" he asked again once we were back into the area where little sausages on toothpicks were being passed nonchalantly around by a man in a black vest. My eyes followed the platter as the man passed by and I returned my gaze to Ryou.

"Nothing," I answered sort of high pitched.

He lifted an eyebrow and I watched as that same blond woman in the white came bursting through the crowd again. She came laughing up to Ryou and I, pressing her hand to her chest as she howled in laughter. Both Ryou and I took a step back.

"Who is she?" I whispered as she tried to catch her breath from laughing.

"A recruiter," answered Ryou.

"Ryou," she heaved, "you simply _must_ come with me again."

"I can't." He replied.

"Oh well," she looked from him to me and placed her hands on her hips, "why not?"

"I'm spending some time with my fiancée. We'll recruit another night." his hand had made its way to my back again.

"Oh my," she breathed and looked at me, "I didn't know of this."

"It's only been recent." He grinned.

"Well what do you say to coming by my house after this little shindig and you can tell me everything. We simply must catch up!" she laughed.

"Actually," I began while the _'now or never'_ thought passed my mind, "we'll be staying here with Zakuro tonight so we'll have to pass but Ryou and I would love to make plans for another night. Perhaps next week? By the way, I'm Ichigo Momomiya. I _simply_ love your dress!" …

… Ryou looked good in flannel pajama's. I thought that as I brushed my teeth outside the spare bathroom attached to the bedroom. However, he didn't look happy in his flannel pajama's. As I brushed from side to side, I proposed he wasn't happy because I had him stuck in a room that wasn't his with me without his permission. I finished brushing and snuck into the bathroom to spit and rinse.

Once I was finished, I walked up to the bed in the bedroom where Ryou was throwing throw pillows on the floor. (No pun intended.) I reached over to help but he shot me a look and I backed away.

"I'm sorry okay?" I sighed, "I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable position."

Ryou shook his head and pulled back the covers. He was definitely angry.

"You think what you did back there was smart or something? Telling that recruiter that we were going to be staying here? I had no idea what you were talking about. Zakuro had never asked or even invited me to do so. We weren't even prepared to be doing this. How embarrassing that we had to _borrow _pajama's and toothbrushes from Zakuro. It's not like we would have been to tired to drive home, we have the driver. And even if we were, we could have gotten a hotel and bought our own clothes. And for the record, we're staying in the same room," he shot me another look, "I don't know about you but I'm not entirely comfortable with it."

I crossed my arms, completely embarrassed by what I had done. I had no idea his reaction would have been as extreme as it was. Ryou was definitely uncomfortable with borrowing clothes and toothbrushes, staying over at Zakuro's, and sleeping in the same room as me.

After I had told the recruiter that Ryou and I were staying over at Zakuro's, she seemed impressed and then changed the subject to when we would next meet. Ryou on the other hand, fell silent and only spoke to me once Zakuro approached us later that evening. She looked at me, probably impressed that I had gotten Ryou to stay as late as we were there for and asked if our plans were to stay the night. Ryou never had a say because I answered for us and said yes. Once the party goers and guests were down to a lingering few, Zakuro showed us to our room on the far end of the house where a set of pajamas and toothbrushes were left for us. However, Ryou let me have it the second the doors were shut.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, "It's just that Zakuro-."

"What Zakuro said should not have persuaded your decision making. Why would you have wanted to prove her wrong? So what if she doesn't think we're in love, that's for us to know only." Ryou crossed his arms and I wished I hadn't told him why I accepted the invitation to stay the night over.

I instantly felt stupid. He was right. Not only had I done something amazingly dumb simply because _I_ wanted to prove Zakuro wrong, but I had jeopardized my relationship with Ryou because of it. The silence that overtook the room after that was excruciatingly awkward. I sat down on the edge of the bed as Ryou settled on his his side. He reached over to the side table and all light fled the room as he turned the small lamp off.

I could see the light from the moon reflecting off the ocean from our window. I sat against the headboard to the bed with my knees up to my chest. I would have been excited for the fact that I was staying in the same bed as Ryou with the view of the moonlit ocean through our window if the atmosphere hadn't been so horrible. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before Ryou finally spoke again in the darkness of the room.

"Why are you still with me?" He asked.

"Huh?" I responded.

"If it's Masaya you're after, why is it that you don't go with him?"

I looked at him where he laid on the bed, his back to me. I narrowed my eyes.

"What makes you think I want to be with Masaya?" I asked.

"Why did you tell him I was your brother?" he replied.

"Why haven't you told anyone we're in an arranged marriage?"

Ryou shifted in the bed and he sat up to look at me. I leaned away just an inch.

"Don't change the subject."

"I don't know why okay? He asked who you were and he looked really tense and I didn't want to tell him you were my fiancé because I thought I would lose him as a friend." I bit the inside of my cheek.

"If he was your friend he'd understand." Ryou sounded annoyed.

"How could somebody just understand something like that? I don't have a ring, it's not like he can tell unless you kiss me like you did at the restaurant. Even then he didn't know. And I'm never even sure if I'm supposed to be letting people know about our relationship."

I looked at Ryou and watched him shove his face into the pillow and groan. We sat in silence again until he asked, "You don't like Masaya though?"

"Why is this your only concern?" I sighed.

"Just answer please," he coaxed.

"No. I don't. We're only friends." I stared at my fiancé in the dark.

He looked up at me and sort of side smiled, "Mm. Good."

I rolled my eyes and looked away before I settled down into the bed, bringing the blankets up to my chin. Ryou shut his eyes and asked, "But you want to be with me right?"

"No." I shut my eyes, trying to ignore him.

"It is kind of exciting sleeping in the same bed though," he mumbled, ignoring my answer. I couldn't help but smile at his statement and I opened my eyes to look at him. He looked peaceful with his blond hair in his eyes and face smooshed into the belly of the pillow. Absentmindedly, my fingers reached over and brushed the hair from his eyes. He peeked an eye open and I leaned over, pecking his lips. I returned to my side of the bed and shut my eyes. I felt his hand against mine and our fingers intertwined before I smiled and drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, I stared at the ceiling of Zakuro's room for a long time before I actually sat up and took in my surroundings. Ryou was already awake and out of bed with his shirt off when I glanced around the room. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom, half naked with a toothbrush dangling from his mouth. My cheeks lit up red and I stood from the bed.

"Put a shirt on would you?" I mumbled and picked up the dress I wore from the night before from where it laid on the chair in the corner of the room. What was neat about the little bustle on the dress was that it could be removed. I snapped off the snaps to the bustle and transformed the dress into it's tube dress form.

"What do you want to do today?" Asked Ryou once he had finished up and had his white button up shirt from the tux on. The first few buttons were not buttoned up and I couldn't help but stare at the top of his chest like a perverted boy.

"Uhm," I tore my eyes away, "I don't know."

"I guess since we're in town, we might as well go to the beach." He placed his hands in his pockets as he looked out the window. I walked into the bathroom and took off the pajama's, slipping the tube dress on.

"That sounds like fun," I smiled, "I bet Zakuro will loan me a pair of flip flops don't you think?"

Ryou rolled his eyes, "We'll just go buy a pair or something. I think we've borrowed enough from her don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes then and walked towards the door, "Flip flops are flips flops. Here, lemme go ask." I left the room before he could say anything and walked into the kitchen. Sure enough there was Zakuro, sitting on the counter with a container of orange juice at her side. She glanced over her shoulder at me and I smiled as I walked up to her.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Yeah. We did." I said, "So what can you say now?"

She shrugged, "It wasn't a bet or anything."

"I know but I'm just saying."

She went silent and stared out the glass wall to the ocean in front of her. I felt victorious in my own way and grinned as I turned my heel to leave. She jumped off the counter and caught my wrist before I could get any further, "Just to let you have something to think about," she said tonelessly, "why do you think he wants to marry you? I've done my research and I know more than you think. You have no social standing, no wealth, barely any schooling, and your looks are average. Why does Ryou Shirogane, a man with all of that, want a girl like you?"

She let go of my wrist and walked away, leaving me to linger in the kitchen while my thoughts slipped away. The remaining question had always been why. It had only occurred to me then that I never knew why. In the beginning, I asked why. When had that thought left? When had I become so preoccupied that I never realized that Ryou Shirogane in all reality didn't ever want me so why had he chosen me out of everyone else?

_"That,"_ I thought, _"Is a good question."_

…_to be continued ...

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A/N: So how 'bout them Lakers huh?

Sorry about the long wait guys. I've been trying to pump this story out but just...ugh...it was not coming nicely to me. So I must apologize for not only the wait but for the fact that this is a pretty crappy chapter. If there are problems with it, excuse them. I'll shame myself over time and hate that I didn't repeatedly read and reedit everything over and over again.

So! This was a hefty read. Very long and semi tedious no? Well tell me what you think reader!

**For those who are curious what the wedding dress looks like**; I chose something from online that looked similar and I will post the link in my profile.

Default review:

_Kristen,_

_Loved this chapter. Could use some work though._

_Hottest kiss everrrr in the beginning. Ha ha poor Masaya._

_Well keep up the good work._

____(name)_____

_(P.S. Ryou and Ichigo foreverrr!)_

There you are.

Enjoy everyone. Until the next chapter.

Kristen


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ryou's POV..._

What had happened to me?

It was a question that I was sure was linked to multiple answers. But none of the answers would have explained what I was doing on a work day, laying sprawled out on a six dollar convenience store beach towel underneath the bright sun in yesterday's tux pants. To my right sat the ten dollar fold out chair with my stuff and her stuff folded neatly on it. The sand from the beach was warm in my hands as I shifted the bits of gravel between my fingers. I could smell the salt water and as I sat up, I watched the figure of a girl in the distance do cartwheels on the beach shore.

Ichigo was what had happened to me.

It was the only answer to everything that had happened since I had taken her into my home less than four months ago. Since the day she had arrived on my door step, running down the stairs like some child in a race, she had caused me nothing but problems. And although there were days where I wanted to lock her up and throw away the key, there were times when she would look at me and smile and I would wonder what my life would currently be like without her.

The ocean breeze sent haphazard crimson curls behind her head and Ichigo whipped a pale hand through her hair as she looked out to the sea. The black, tight dress that I knew Keiichiro had picked out for her for the party the night before acted like skin against her body and I watched as she moved effortlessly in the form-fitted dress. One more cartwheel and I knew I was going to have to look away.

She was a kid to say the least as she ran through the shore, kicking up water that gleamed like diamonds in the sun. She spun and I could hear her laugh as she ran away from the waves that chased her feet. I rolled my eyes at her child like behavior and leaned back on the beach towel, ignoring the heat in my legs from the black pants that sun was so attracted to.

We were a pair, I thought and stared up at the sky that was dotted with cotton ball shaped clouds. As Ichigo and I left the driver a few hours previous to skip a day and relax on the beach, I had happened to catch a glimpse at the few couples relaxing on the beach. I immediately knew we looked out of place. While some sat and tanned in their bathing suits and others built sandcastles with their children, we laid out on six dollar beach towels with Rolex watches and three hundred dollar dresses. I reached my hand into the Styrofoam cooler we bought and pulled out a bottle of water.

I heard the sound of someone running up next to me and felt the cool shadow cast over my head. I looked up to meet the bright brown eyes of my fiancée. She stared for a minute and groaned, "Are you going to do this all day?"

"Maybe," I answered and enjoyed the warm feel of the sun on my chest.

"Get up." She said and poked my side with her toe.

"Why should I?" I mumbled and rested my arms behind my head, "You wanted to go to the beach in the middle of spring where the water is cold and 'chill out' and that's exactly what I'm doing."

"It's not _that_ cold." She replied.

"Cold enough for you to scream whenever the water brushes your toes. I think I'll pass." I smirked. She dropped down next to me on her beach towel and sighed with defeat. After a minute she sighed again and leaned over my body. She rested one hand on each side of my chest and looked at me so we were face to face. She pulled off my sunglasses and I had to squint to look at her.

"What, Ichigo?" I groaned.

"Let's play." She whined unattractively.

"That can be arranged," I smirked and reached up to run my hand up her back. The life looked like it was going to drain from her face and she whipped around to smack my hand away. I broke into laughter and sat up as she sat on her knees.

Her face was bright red and I laughed again, "Either you need some sun lotion or you were _way_ too excited for that."

"Not funny!" she wailed, her face the shade of a strawberry, "You pervert!"

"Pervert," I lifted an eyebrow then smirked. She leaned away as if sensing what I was going to do and I sat up straighter, grabbing her arm. I tugged her to me and grabbed her chin. She gasped and looked at me.

"I'm not a pervert if you're _engaged_ to me," I ran my thumb along her lips. She stared for a second, her face bright red before she pulled away from me and out of my grip. Running her hands over her arms she looked at me like I had violated her. After a moment, the look went away and I questioned what had just happened.

"Whatever," she sneered and acted as if nothing had happened, "you're still a gross pervert, Shirogane."

I rolled my eyes in response and leaned back down on the beach towel as she got up and ran back towards the shore to play in the water. Although part of me wanted to forget what had happened, the other part couldn't and I had a miserable time forgetting her expression, the look of horror hidden in her eyes. Before I could go on dwelling on the subject, my phone rang. I wanted to ignore it and just try to relax, try to figure out what had happened with Ichigo but force of habit had me reaching over to pick up the cell.

"Hello?" I answered once I had fished my phone out of the pocket of the tux jacket.

"Ryou!" a voice sang, "My old buddy, old pal! How was the party?"

"Keiichiro," I replied, "good. We ended up staying the night over since Ichigo basically invited us to."

"Ah. Did you do the nasty?"

I instantly felt the reddening in my cheeks as I jumped in surprise at his straightforward question, "Kei-Kei-Keiichiro!" I wailed, blown away by the question, "Of course not! Don't be preposterous!"

He chuckled over the receiver, "I'm only joking Ryou. Calm down. _Whoa!_ This is a nice beach. Is it private?"

"Huh?" I asked and looked around. Sure enough I saw Keiichiro walking down the wooden staircase that led to the beach. I sat up and sighed, hanging up on my friend. He pocketed his phone and waved as he walked across the sand to my spot. I noticed someone was in tow with him and Mint came bounding up behind him in a large sun hat and huge sunglasses.

As he approached, he smiled brightly and said, "Look who I bumped in to."

"Oh goodness," Mint sighed and fanned her face, "it's the beach! Isn't it supposed to be cool here? It is so hot. I could pass out. Where's the umbrella? I simply must get out of the sun before I die of heatstroke."

As Mint went on babbling, Keiichiro looked away and sat down on Ichigo's beach towel. He grinned at me and said, "Zakuro was kind enough to tell me where you were. Mint was waiting at the house early this morning to do some paperwork but much to her dismay you weren't sleeping in your bed like usual. So we drove all the way from home to visit you two! Hurray!"

"Hurray," groaned Mint.

"Hurray," I replied.

"Hu_rraaaay!_" Someone screamed and I watched as Ichigo came running with her hands in the air up to Keiichiro, Mint, and I, "You guys are here too! Now we can party since big ol' meanie Shirogane here doesn't want to play in the water."

"Ugh, Ichigo," Mint sighed, "I don't want to either. Look at me, do I look like I'm ready to take a swim? These are Giuseppe Zanotti suede high heel sandals. They shouldn't even be in this sand!"

Before we knew it Mint was back on a talking fit about her designer clothes from Paris that could not and should not ever be worn to the beach. Ichigo simply stared and waited patiently for Mint to stop ranting about her clothes being at the beach before she looked at Keiichiro and smiled, "You'll swim with me, right Keiichiro?"

"Of course Ichigo," He smiled in response, "but is that your designer dress that you wore last night?"

"Yeah," Ichigo frowned and looked at her dress, that was again leaving little if anything to the imagination. I felt dirty just looking at her body in the outfit. Last night it hadn't seemed like a big deal, she had fit in with every other girl in a cocktail dress, but out in the sun on a nice beach, she was like walking naked in the black designer dress. I swallowed and looked at my knees.

"Oh but you took the bustles off!" Keiichiro pointed out and had her turn so her backside was facing us. I continued to stare at my knees.

"And it still looks nice," Keiichiro held up his hands as if he were presenting a statue carved by Michelangelo himself, "Ah well done, Keiichiro, well done." he congratulated himself and I rolled my eyes in response.

She laughed and Mint sighed again as she used her hand as a shield for her face from the sun. Ichigo turned and ran back toward the water where I saw her bend down to pick something from the sand. I turned my gaze to Mint as she flopped herself down on the fold out chair and looked around for whatever. After a minute while Keiichiro and I watched her, she took a magazine that Ichigo had bought in the store and plopped it on her face, "If we aren't going to leave soon so I can start on this stinkin' report then I'm just going to nap right here." her voice was muffled through the magazine, "Do not disturb please."

Keiichiro looked back at me and lowered his voice, "What's been up?"

"Nothing." I answered and ignored the buzzing in my head about Ichigo. Although Keiichiro was my best friend, I still never felt entirely comfortable telling him about the private things I did with my fiancée. Even _I_ wasn't entirely comfortable doing those things with Ichigo quite yet. And now as I thought about the look she had given me, with her arms cradled to her chest, her eyes wide with something hidden, I wasn't sure if I'd be comfortable doing anything with her for a while. I stood up and Keiichiro followed. I walked away from Mint on the chair while she snoozed and Keiichiro walked next to me, his hands on his sides as he watched the water.

"What's new with you?" I asked, figuring there was more to the reason of why Keiichiro had taken the two and a half hour drive from where we lived to the beach than just for fun's sake.

"I have some news for you." Keiichiro stopped walking. I felt my weight shift underneath the sand and my feet sunk into the warm beach gravel.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"We got a letter from the lawyers," Keiichiro cleared his throat, "this marriage might have to happen a little sooner than I thought."

"What happened?" I asked again.

"Well, it said that you had until December thirty-first to marry someone. After apparently some thorough research, the lawyers found a twist on words. Your parents said they wanted you married by the age of twenty-two. Well, guess what Ryou? You already _are_ twenty-two. Things have changed. They aren't satisfied with having you married before the end of the year. They want it to happen before your twenty-third birthday."

"Oh man," I ran my hand through my hair, "which is in the next four months."

Keiichiro nodded, "That's partly why I came down here today. I actually got the news the day before the party but I didn't want you to cancel because of it."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted you to have fun before you found out," Keiichiro crossed his arms, "anyways you needed to set the date sooner or later. It's practically March and you would've only had about nine months until the deadline was due."

"Yeah," I answered and looked out towards the ocean. I could see Ichigo sitting in the sand, ruining the expensive dress Keiichiro had picked out specifically for her. Her hair blew again in the breeze and she tossed her hand through it. Her fingers got caught in the old curls and I rolled my eyes before I returned my gaze to my friend, "I suppose I'll tell her that the date will be in late July?"

"She isn't going to be expecting it to be so soon. In fact she preferred to have set it in the fall." Keiichiro pointed out.

"It is the fall," I retorted, "early fall but regardless, it's still fall."

Keiichiro only stared and smiled weakly before shaking his head and stifling a laugh. He started walking again and I followed him, resting my arms behind my head. I kicked up sand as we walked to nowhere in particular and after a few minutes of silence I asked, "How far along are you with the wedding?"

"Hm so now you finally care," he scratched his chin, "I vaguely remember saying that'd you regret not being apart of the planning."

I ignored his statement mostly because I still wasn't too keen on ever planning the wedding. Part of me still just wanted to get it over with. But because Ichigo was my fiancée and I had sort of grown accustomed to the thought of to wanting her to be happy in my home, I allowed her to have the free reign of having a huge, gigantic wedding. All at my costs.

"So?" I pressed.

"Oh. We're done. We've been done. The destination is down, the flowers picked, the colors decided, the cake is baked, the tuxes are ordered and fitted, even yours, Ichigo has three bridesmaids who are also fitted and ready to go, dress is here, along with something new, blue, old, and borrowed." he laughed at that then shook his head, "No I'm only kidding. We still have a few things to do. And with no date, we haven't been able to do everything so choose the day wisely and tell me as soon as possible."

"Can't I just pick any date?" I snorted.

"Why? So you can forget it every year while she thinks and waits for it like a holiday and hopes to do something romantic while you're working and thinking mainly of yourself and the thought of the date never crosses your mind until she brings it up that night in bed and your only response is, 'oh shit'?" Keiichiro raised his eyebrows as he looked at me.

"I guess," I replied and looked away.

He smiled, "Just, you know, any day before your birthday is good."

My friend turned away from me as I thought and walked out to the beach to sit with Ichigo and probably fulfill his promise of playing in the water with her. I ran a hand through my hair and watched him go as he approached my awaiting fiancée. She laughed and took his hand as he helped her up and they skipped out to the shore to play. I wasn't sure what to think about everything that had happened from the look on Ichigo's face to the news of a sooner wedding. On top of that, as I glanced at Mint snoozing on the fold out chair, the sun beating down on her pale body, I still had made the promise to work through everything to my financial advisor and partner.

A week later I sat on the couch in the living room next to Ichigo. She had one leg crossed over the other as she held a calendar in her hand. After I had explained that I wanted to wedding to be in July and before my birthday so we could celebrate, she seemed willing and actually a little happy that we had finally decided to make a decision about the wedding together. I rested my hands behind my head as she shut her eyes and pointed to a random date on the calendar. I rolled my eyes and thought, _"So much for not just choosing any random date."_

"This one!" She pressed her finger to a date.

"The twenty-third?" almost a week before my birthday.

"Do you like it?" she looked at me.

"I like even days," I couldn't help the sour expression on my face. She rolled her eyes this time and moved her finger back a day.

"The twenty-second?"

"It could work." I replied with a side grin. She raised her eyebrows and sat the calendar on my lap before she folded her legs in so she could sit them up on the couch.

"It _has_ to work," she turned towards me, "because if not then it's just some other boring day out of the year. I mean in all reality look at it here, we are going to be _married_ on this day. That's a pretty big thing don't you agree?"

"I guess," I mumbled. Of course it was a big thing. It was a huge, gigantic, enormous thing that was only now starting to slowly stress me out. The words played through my mind over and over again; _Marriage. Wedding. Marriage. Wedding._ I was basically going to be spending the next long period of time with Ichigo, as her legally wedded husband. Everything about the situation was starting to click in my brain.

"Anyways, to be honest," Ichigo slid her finger across the calendar to the beginning of the month, "I like the tenth."

"Why?"

She shrugged, "I dunno. I just like it. It's still an even day but it's not long and it's not like single digits either. It's just," she paused, "_tenth._ It rolls off the tongue nicely. _Tenth._"

I couldn't help but be amused at her logic, her senseless logic. What I had learned about Ichigo in the time I had spent with her was that she was incredibly simple. Nothing ever made sense when she talked and when it did, it fell under the gambit of Kindergarten speak. Apples are red. The sky is blue. Ichigo was about as deep as a puddle on the sidewalk and although when I was younger I would've considered her mundane way of thinking to be unattractive, I now slowly was starting to like it.

Even though I liked to listen to Ichigo talk to a certain degree, I had a hard time being around her and I still hadn't touched her since the day at the beach. I was sure most people in some sort of romantic relationship at least had some form of physical, romantic contact but I couldn't bring myself to try and take that step again. Not since the look on Ichigo's face was branded into my mind for something I felt I shouldn't have done.

It was odd to me considering I had done a few things that helped with the 'being attracted' part of our relationship that never bothered her before. But after we had returned home from the day at the beach and I had a few days to relax and think about everything, I was wondering if maybe before she hadn't liked it either.

_"What if," _I thought, _"I missed it? What if she's always hated it and I've never noticed?"_

I was curious to how I hadn't seen it before but I realized all the times before when I had simply kissed her, I hadn't waited for her reaction afterward. And every time I did take the liberty of claiming her lips, there were always others around or we were in public. It had never been in privacy. The only time we had ever had a private intimate moment was when we slept in Zakuro's bed and I had been angry with her.

I looked at Ichigo and she ran her finger over the calendar, following the square outline of July tenth. She looked content with the day and I said, "I'll let Keiichiro know then that it'll be July tenth."

She grinned, "You like it to?"

"I guess." I replied.

"Really?" Her expression changed as if she were skeptical of my answer.

"Yes." I stared.

"Alright good." She stood up from the couch and left the calendar on my lap.

"Where are you going?" I asked as she skipped off.

She looked over her shoulder at me before she twisted around and walked backwards toward the foyer, "Animal shelter. Don't worry about taking me or anything, Masaya offered to pick me up." She grinned and turned back around. But not before she hit her shoulder on the foyer wall, "Ouch." She glared at the wall as if it had bumped into her, rubbed her arm, and disappeared behind the wall.

_"Ah. Masaya."_ I thought and glanced at the calendar. Since day one he had been a bit of a problem. Not only was he the source to all my worries about Ichigo, he seemed to be under the impression that he was a team player. That Ichigo was free game until we were legally joined. And even then, as I watched him the morning Ichigo had dragged me to the restaurant to meet him, he had a spark in his eye that said he would do anything for her. He knew something and although Ichigo payed little to no attention to her friend's small talk stories, his words were like poison as he spoke in a low voice. I hadn't thought much of the boy but he had made it clear through his posture and voice that he felt like I was a threat.

A threat. I couldn't believe, whenever we made a long, drawn out, dominant like eye contact that he believed I was a threat. I was more than a threat. Ichigo's red sting was tied to my pinky, I had claimed her index finger as mine and although I didn't lead on to Ichigo that I might have feelings for her, I could feel them in the pit of my stomach. From the way she laughed to her absolute clumsiness, I couldn't help the vile feeling that squeezed my heart like a python wrapping around its prey. I hated to admit, hated to know it, hated everything about wanting her as my own. It was a feeling I never had for anybody in my life.

Then knowing Masaya wanted to play the game, to try and be something more to her, I felt rage. Masaya's words were like a slap in the face when I shook his hand and sat down in the restaurant, the way he grinned and said, "Nice to finally meet Ichigo's _brother_." was a nauseating moment for me. Every day as I came to the realization that I had some sort of feeling for my fiancée that was more than annoyance, I weakened. I never wanted to like her. I wanted to always be single, to always be a lone wolf, to work my way up all the way to the top of the business with nothing holding me back.

Mint had always been the one to coax me on, to want me to rise to the top. Since I had met her she had pushed for it. Keiichiro backed me up for the most part and Zakuro was pulling me along as well. I never wanted to have a wife or children or a family that would stop me from building my empire up. But there I was, on the sofa one afternoon with a girl I had been living with for almost four months, picking out a wedding date so we could be married before my twenty-third birthday. I was weak.

All I could do was stare at Masaya's hidden smirk and Ichigo's clear embarrassment to the lie she had made that one morning. She never told her 'friend' who she had been working with that she was engaged. She had built a lie about living with her brother and had used me to cover up. I couldn't believe it. And as I watched the spark of hidden amusement in Masaya's eyes, I knew I had to do something to prove that we were in some sort of relationship. To give him a punch in the face like I had felt.

The kiss. I had never kissed a girl like that in all my life. It had been the most head spinning kiss I had ever planted on Ichigo. Masaya's expression afterward could only be described as priceless and as I sneered, "Sibling kiss." I knew a little bit of his hope for her had shattered. But the entire day I was bugged by the fact that she had hidden everything. I had realized then that my feelings were for her were blinding me. The little bit of a likeness that I had built up for my fiancée had immobilized me. Things I once loved, like dedicating myself to the office, paper work, following my schedule, and making money were always cut short by Ichigo. Her trips to the animal shelter, the way she made so much goddamn noise running down the hall for whatever reason, the way she looked at me over her shoulder and smiled, her constant whining, and her persistence for whatever she wanted at the moment stopped me from something. Somehow, it could have been nothing, but it was something that always cut me short from work.

I couldn't work the rest of the afternoon knowing she had lied to her friend by telling him I was her brother. It poked and mocked and prodded at my brain all morning into the evening where we were supposed to dress nicely and go to Zakuro's for whatever reason. I had built up some argument that I wanted to start with her over the subject once we were out of the house and into the town car. I stood in my room as I slipped each button into it's slot to the white button down of the tux I used for ever one of Zakuro's events and thought about what I was going to say to her.

_Why didn't you tell him who I really was?_

_ Why did you lie?_

_ What reason crawled into your tiny head that made you think for a second that it would be okay __to lie about me being your fiancé? _

_ Do you even really want to be with me?_

All of it had sounded good to just ask as I slipped on the jacket to my tux and adjusted the bow tie around my neck. I was getting pumped and ready to throw all my developed questions at my fiancée while standing at the foot of the stairs, waiting for her. I checked my watch once, then again, and glanced over my shoulder once I heard the unfamiliar clicking of heels against smooth marble.

I really wished that I had remembered everything I had meant to ask her. Every ounce of anger I had for Ichigo was no longer for her but for Keiichiro and I instantly hated my best friend for the dress I knew he had put her in. Hips swayed, spirals of red hair bounced (along with other things), and long legs ascended the stairs. It was Ichigo in a complete and utter different sight. I inhaled sharply, as if someone had stabbed me in the side and forced myself to grin. Of course she looked uncomfortable and nervous as usual and she smiled a weak, wobbly grin back.

I wanted to be mad at her, but I also I wanted to smash my face against hers and kiss her so passionately that her knees would weaken and she would crumble to the floor. I wanted her. Her and only her.

I tried my best to be angry with her over the fact that she had made some silly bet with Zakuro but I couldn't bring myself to be sincerely angry.

"Ryou," she looked innocent once the recruiter, I couldn't ever remember her name, had left. I was more stunned at what she had said then angry.

_"We're going to be staying in a room together? Here?"_ My eyes wandered around the walls of Zakuro's multi-million dollar home.

"I can explain," her voice was soft, her cheeks blaring red. I could only stare. What was I supposed to say?

Her eyes shut, eyelashes resting against the pale of her face in a slow blink. She sighed and looked back at me, going into a long dissertation of why we had to stay in Zakuro's home over night. How Zakuro had said we were not in love and that she said Ichigo had to some way prove it. She was apologetic about it of course but I was sure she wasn't going to take back the deal with Zakuro and we were going to find ourselves stuck in a spare bedroom for the night.

I didn't mind so much as I crawled into bed and threw the covers over my head. It had been a long time since I had slept in the same bed as someone. I could vaguely remember sleeping over at a cousins house where we shared a bed once when my parents were still alive but other than that, I had no recollection of sleeping with someone. And the groove of Ichigo's body next to mine somehow had felt right, like I needed her to fill the gap in the bed that separated us. We were like puzzle pieces that were meant to fit together but I had been too angry at the time to allow myself to reach out and pull her close.

I didn't remember what had sparked the memory but after a few awkward minutes laying in bed, I asked Ichigo the questions I needed answered. All I could remember was the next morning I could feel her fingers in my hand as she slept in a pool of white sheets and an overly stuffed white comforter...

… "Ryou," I could hear her voice, soft, low, and faintly familiar.

_"The same tone," _I thought, _"The same tone as my mother."_

I opened an eye to stare up at the face of Ichigo, only half expecting and wishing to see my mom standing above me. It wasn't-like I knew- and I stared up at the face of my fiancée. She looked amused, one eyebrow lifted with a bit back laugh expression. I opened my other eye and sighed, "Why is it that I have to wake up to see your shining glory?" I rested my arm against my eyes.

"Thank you?" she sounded confused, "Anyways, you were drooling."

"How long have I been asleep?" I droned.

"Like three hours, but I just got back from the shelter so I dunno."

"Why did you wake me?" I asked.

"Are you hungry?" I felt the couch move slightly as she sat on the edge.

"Yes," I answered.

"So am I but everything is closed since it's pretty late." she said, "And I don't know what happened but Keiichiro said he thinks the fridge is on the fritz so all of the food in the fridge is spoiled now."

I grinned and laughed, rolling on my side so that my back was facing her. The old couch groaned in response. "Go away, I want to sleep," I sighed.

"Hey," she sounded annoyed, "don't ignore me."

I twisted my head so I could see her out of the corner of my eye, "Come here then."

"Where?" she stood up.

I nodded to the tiny space in between me and the backing of the couch. Her face blared red and she shook her head, "I'm not going to fit there."

"Try." I smirked.

"Ry_ouuu,"_ she whined, "C'mon I'm hungry."

"Just try."

She huffed a sigh and looked awkward trying to go about crawling into the space between me and the couch. Once she had stuffed herself into the small area, she pouted and looked at me, "What purpose does this serve? Now I'm just breathing your air!"

Ichigo's face was inches from mine and I couldn't help but grin at the fact that she had actually tried. It was awkward for a moment, staring at nothing but her face but after a second, I shut my eyes and leaned my forehead against hers.

"Ryou," she said softly, "this is stupid."

I hummed an, "Mmm." in response then asked, "Do you dislike it?" before the tips of my fingers traced where her arm lay against her side.

She stiffened, "Uhn," a sigh escaped her pink lips, "no."

I smiled and brushed my finger up her arm to touch the side of her jaw, "Then I can kiss you?"

I was half expecting her to say 'no' but before she answered, she leaned forward, filling the small gap, and pressed her lips against mine. I didn't react for a second, surprised that she had taken the first step and she removed her lips from mine. Then she leaned in again and pressed her pink lips against my bottom lip, my neck, and the top of my chest where my shirt stooped down slightly to reveal the groove of my collar bone.

I blinked several times and stared at her. Her chocolate brown eyes swam in a clear glaze before she grinned slightly and said, "Can I kiss you?"

I smiled before I said, "Oh wow, you didn't even wait for me to answer. You just _assumed_ I wanted your lips all over my neck."

She jolted up, "What!"

I sat up as well. "I feel so violated," I teased and cradled my arms against my chest, "Ichigo kissed me all over."

"Ryou, you big dummy!" she cried and pressed her fists against her eyes, "I hate you so much!"

"Hey children, the take out is here," Keiichiro called from the doorway.

"Keiichiro," I stood up from the couch and pointed at my fiancée, "Ichigo violated me."  
"I did not!" she cried again from the couch where she stood up on the cushion and pointed back at me, "He made me squeeze in-between him and the couch and then wanted to know if I'd let him kiss me."

"She is lying." I crossed my arms, "She kissed me all over."

Keiichiro only stared before he said, "It's in the dining room if...if you'd like any. I even bought won tons!" Then he disappeared back around the corner and I smirked up at Ichigo where she stood on the couch.

"You suck, Shirogane." She glared.

"I love you, Momomiya." I smiled and held up my hand to help her down from the couch. She rested her hand in my palm as she stepped down from the couch and I intertwined my fingers with hers as we walked towards the dining room for a take out dinner. I glanced at her sideways and she looked back at me, lifting an eyebrow. I felt the side of my mouth twitch upward in a poor attempt at a side grin and she looked away, an amused grin on her face.

I had meant to ask her so many questions while we laid together, being stupid. But in the second that I rested my head against hers, I couldn't seem to remember any of them. I felt my heart swell, from the very pit and the feeling I dreaded most took over. For a minute, I forgot ever problem we had from her friend Masaya, to the fact that she may not have wanted me to touch her and I allowed myself the luxury of loving her. For a minute, I could have sworn, that she wanted to do the same.

_...To be continued...

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A/N: Hey all! Whoo, what a chapter. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! You all are just amazing. I send each and every one of you my greatest love. I apologize for the wait as well.  
This one was a doozy. So! The wedding date has changed and is coming up soon, Ryou is falling in love, Ichigo is hiding a secret, and Keiichiro... well he's just being the good ol' comic relief he is. Well reader, tell me what you think!  
See you next chapter, Kristen.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_...Ichigo's POV..._

My skin tingled. My heart raced. Butterflies flew like a thunderstorm in my stomach. My legs weakened. My arms went numb. I swallowed and suddenly the world stopped. I could hear my breath in my ears, like I was floating on my back in water. A cool sensation fell over my body and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in attention. I inhaled sharply as the warmth came to a rest against my shoulders.

My breathing staggered and fell from my mouth in a whisper, "Ryou."

I could feel his skin against mine, warm and welcoming. My palms were sweaty and my hands froze as I felt his lips brush against the hot of my cheek.

"What are you doing?" he asked against my ear. His voice was soft and I wondered when he had gotten so close.

"Uhn," I could only manage to make a noise as everything moved in slow, fluid motions. My hands trembled against the keyboard of my computer. I could feel the tips of my fingers tap the plastic keys. I swallowed, cleared my throat, and swallowed again before my vision started to clear.

"What?" I managed to slur out, frozen where I sat in front of my computer.

I could hear the humor in his voice, "'What?' What do you mean 'what', Strawberry?" it was a nickname he had picked up over the course of a few days and had managed to douse me in it every time he referred to me, "I'm asking what you're doing."

He leaned away from me, his palms leaving my bare shoulders from my halter top shirt, and the warmth faded from my skin. I felt everything slowly ease back to being normal; my goosebumps ceased, my hair relaxed, and the fluttering calmed slightly. I looked over at where Ryou stood by the window in my room, "Uh. I'm just emailing a friend."

He touched the lace curtains with his hands while he kept his free hand behind his back. His gaze was out the window and he admired the view of the beautiful, blooming backyard, "What are you planning to do today?"

_"Plans?"_ I thought and looked back my computer screen. My fingers still trembled and I tried to relax by inhaling deep breaths. It had been a long time since I had plans. Lettuce hadn't come around for a few days on account of having to attend a funeral of a family member somewhere in another town so I had been alone for the most part. Masaya called and text messaged practically every day and every hour but I tried to avoid hanging out with him outside of the animal shelter because of the awkwardness of the first time he met Ryou. It wasn't that I was ashamed he thought I was lying (because I was still really embarrassed), it was that ever since that day, he was pretty persistent to hanging out again with Ryou, which made things weird. I wanted to hang out with my friend just as a friend, not because he wanted to see my fiancé.

"None so far. Aren't you supposed to be working?" I turned away from the computer in my swivel chair, the carpet brushing the bottom of my bare feet.

He shrugged and crossed his arms, "Mint finished her report a few days ago and she left yesterday for her vacation time so I'm flying solo until she gets back." His lips twitched upward into a side grin and I rolled my eyes, "Which means it's just you and I today."

I swiveled back around in my chair to face the computer, "No thanks."

"What do you mean, 'no thanks'?" he sounded incredibly annoyed. I couldn't blame him though. It had been difficult the past few weeks to avoid letting him get near me. Since what Zakuro had said the morning after we stayed the night, I had tried to gather as much information about my fiancé that would help me come up with the answer to why he wanted to marry me. Every time he wanted to pull me into the shadows of the foyer and kiss or sit together on the couch for a movie, I tried to steer clear and walk away. As tempting as it was to want him, I couldn't bring myself to be blindsided by love at the time.

Zakuro had been right. He could have had anyone. Ryou Shirogane was capable of marrying a foreign model for all he cared. But what confused us all was that he had chosen me. Red headed, pink cheeked, too thin, clumsy, awkward me. It didn't make sense. An arranged marriage was the only answer but it still brought up the question of 'why'? Because his parents were deceased and he was in charge of his own life, Ryou didn't have to go through with the arranged marriage. He never had to call my parents and bring the subject up ever again. And it wasn't like in the beginning he wanted to be married. Everything about him screamed, 'Working Man-No Family _Ever_!'

"I mean, maybe later?" I offered, "I really gotta get this letter out to my friend. I don't know her home address and Keiichiro is making me send out my half of the invitations tomorrow."

Ryou cocked an eyebrow before he sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah alright."

I smiled and tilted my head, "Maybe we can go look for a new fridge together? Sound fun?"

It had been days since I had seen refrigerated food in the mansion. Since the night we had take out and I kissed Ryou, we had been living off of whatever was in the cabinet and small proportions of milk and juice. I wasn't entirely sure why we hadn't gone out to go purchase a new one but I had convinced Keiichiro a few days later that it was definitely time to buy a fridge.

"Actually Keiichiro ordered one yesterday and the delivery people are going to be here with it in the next few hours," Ryou made his way to my door, "if you hear them knock, just let them in."

"'Kay." I watched him go.

"Oh. And another thing." he wavered by the door, "The chef is going to be here with some groceries, look out for him if you hear a knock too."

"Yeah." I swiveled back around in my chair, "Listen for the knocks. Got it."

"Oh! One more thing," he sounded closer than from where he stood by the door.

"What?" I turned back around in my chair but gasped in surprise when he was right behind me. He grabbed the arms of my chair and pulled it towards him. His lips captured mine and for a brief second I melted away into his soft caress. He pulled away and turned my rolly chair so that I was back to facing the computer screen. I heard his footsteps as he left and brought my hand to my lips.

"Damn!" I hissed as my heart hammered in my chest, my mind kind of foggy. It had been a few days since I had gotten into the romantic feel with Ryou. I had to admit that I had a hard time keeping away. I wanted nothing more than to act on my instincts, to go with the flow and pounce him like a cat. I wanted his lips on mine, then on my neck, and my shoulders. I wanted to feel that burn of pleasure against my skin whenever he was near. Since our very first kiss, I had wanted nothing but more. I wanted Ryou Shirogane's love... My head felt light again thinking about it and I inhaled and pressed my fingers against my temples.

Of course I wanted nothing more than to really have a _real_ normal relationship with Ryou. But everything about our relationship was far from normal and I realized early on that we would never be in anything normal. And as of recently my thoughts consistently fell back on the 'why' factor. I pressed the minimize button on the email screen and stood up from my chair. I walked to my door and looked both ways down the hall. Seeing nothing but the long stretch of hallway, I tiptoed out from my room to the one room that I knew would hold the bit of information that would answer my questions.

Ryou's office had lots and lots and lots of files stacked in organizers in drawers and on shelves that I knew held some sort of papers that would help with my investigation. I entered the office quietly, knowing that if Ryou wasn't in his office, he had probably already left the mansion to do something. I hated to sneak around in his own private room but as I swallowed and looked around the office to where I should start my search, I realized that a lot of married couples would do this and I was simply starting early. Ignoring the fact that my reasonings were stupid and untrue to a degree, I looked at the labellings to some of the files on his shelves. I read over names then words like 'Taxes 2008-2009' and 'Mortgage Payments' and scanned the shelves for anything that would help my search. With no such luck, I turned my attention to the the file cabinet and started to riffle through the many files in the first drawer. Most of the files had names of clients I didn't know and the last two drawers had locks that I didn't have keys to. I sighed in slight defeat and my eyes wandered over to the overly sized, burgundy stained, mahogany desk. Ryou's huge cushioned chair sat neatly behind the desk, beckoning me to go sit in.

I bit my bottom lip and ran my fingers over the top of the desk, the cool wood brushing the tips of my fingers. I stopped and plopped myself on the chair and it whooshed in response. I grinned and laughed, spinning in the soft, cushioned chair before I stopped and looked at the drawers on the desk. I slowly reached for the top drawer and pulled it open. Much to my surprise sat nothing but computer paper and paper clips. I shut the drawer with a 'humph' and went to reach for the bottom one. As I started to pull the drawer open, I was stopped by someone screaming; "Hey!"

I jumped and flew back into the chair, where it rolled across the floor into the wall behind it. A shrill cry left my lips as my heart hammered in my chest. After a moment when I took in the screamer, I realized that I didn't recognize the person. Or rather the girl who looked too young to be a client of Ryou's. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my heart and I pressed my hand against my chest as I sighed and relaxed in the chair.

"Oh gosh," I sighed, "You scared me."

More than anything I was relieved it wasn't Keiichiro or worse, Ryou.

The girl, who had her blond hair tied in braids, grinned as she entered the room. She had to have been twelve or thirteen and as she stepped foot into the office, she glanced around curiously. I sat up in the chair and scooted it back to the desk before I stood up and asked, "Who are you?"

The girl stood up on her tippy-toes to look at one of the many glasses resting on the shelves and said, "Who are you?"

An amused breath of air escaped my lips and I rested my palms on my hips as I answered, "Ichigo."

"I'm Pudding," she whipped around to look at me and smiled.

"Hi Pudding," I greeted and glanced around the room, "How did you get in here?"

"How did _you_ get in here?" she repeated with a giggle.

I could already tell our conversation was getting nowhere but I bit my lip and smiled, "I live here."

She gasped, "Wow! Really? Really, really, really? That's amazing! My daddy's the chef here and he lets me come in sometimes so I can help him cook but since he's helping the men downstairs put in the fridge he told me to wait and so I did and now I'm here because I had to use the restroom."

I groaned. The one and only chore Ryou had left for me I completely didn't do because I was too busy snooping in his office. I silently whispered curses and tapped my head with my fists for totally forgetting. As I went about beating myself up quietly and whispering, "Stupid, stupid, stupid." Pudding cleared her throat.

"Uh Ichigo," she tapped my shoulder and I turned to look at her, "I still really need to go to the bathroom."

"Oh!" I stared at Pudding and led her down the hall and to the guest bathroom.

"I have to go downstairs real quick to talk to the fridge men so I'll be back in just a second," I said as I left her at the door.

"Wait!" she called and I stopped in my tracks, "I don't want to be up here alone."

"Uh," I stared at Pudding as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom, an urgent look on her face, "I'll only be a second."

"Never mind, I don't have to go now." she stepped away from the bathroom. I rolled my eyes and walked back up to the door.

"Alright I'll stay, just go."

"No really, I don't have to go anymore. Let's just go downstairs." She smiled weakly and I knew she was lying. I tapped her back and gave her a light push into the bathroom, "Just go."

A few minutes later she was back at my side asking questions at about why I was living in the mansion, did I know Ryou, if I'd ever played in the backyard, and about thirty other questions I didn't catch because she was asking them so fast. As I ascended the stairs, two steps at a time, I looked over my shoulder to see Pudding was still at the top of the staircase.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She smiled and shooed her hand at me, "Don't worry, I'll meet you down there."

I shrugged my shoulders in response then took the last few steps onto the ground of the foyer. I glanced up at Pudding only to see her mid slide down the banister. My mouth fell open as the thirteen year old came sliding down the banister on her stomach like she was a fireman sliding down the pole. Once she reached the end, she swung her leg around, laughing as she jumped off the banister.

"Oh my gosh," I stared at her.

"Oh my gosh! Do you ever get tired of doing that?" She laughed.

"I've never tried," I answered truthfully and started my walk into the kitchen.

"You should! That was ten times more fun than this one time when I was at my friends house, everyone was going down the slide and you know what I did, Ichigo? Do you wanna know what I did?"

I pushed the doors open to the kitchen, "What?"

"I _rolled_ down it instead!" She laughed, "So much more fun."

I raised my eyebrows at the thought of the young girl playing with girls her age who were actually going down slides instead of doing things like reading magazines or talking on the phone to boys or pool parties or whatever. I turned my attention to the two men in the kitchen who had looked like they had just finished pulling the old stainless steel fridge out and I sighed, "Hello."

"Hi," one said while the other one plastered a smile on his pale face.

"Are you the owner?" The taller of the two men asked.

"No but I'm here until he returns," I answered.

"Oh well we found out the problem to the fridge," he said, running a hand through his deep lilac colored hair.

"Yes!" The other man called, gliding from where he stood next to his apparent elder. In three short steps he was near me, my hand in his as he brought it playfully to his lips, "The problem is that we have not met until now, miss." His catlike golden eyes met mine and the smile on his lips twisted into a devious grin as he trailed kisses up my arm. A sheepish laugh escaped my throat as his kisses tickled my bare arm and he continued up to my shoulder. Before he could come closer to meeting my neck, his colleague had ripped him away from my arm by the nape of his neck.

The younger one howled in pain in response but the older shot his friend a look of annoyance before the younger could complain. I couldn't help but smile at their relationship and I cleared my throat before crossing my arms, "Please." I nodded to the lilac headed man, "Continue."

"It seems like one of the wires corroded. Probably something due to age or lack of upkeep."

"Are you calling the miss irresponsible, Pai?" The younger, who had locks of mossy colored hair beneath a white hat, asked sharply.

Pai, who I was assuming was the elder, rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to mine, "No." he answered simply, which I appreciated. Albeit that if I were the owner of the fridge, I wouldn't have enjoyed Pai backpedaling to cover up for what I knew he probably meant. Ryou, although responsible, with being as busy as he consistently was I knew he would have never checked the back of the fridge to make sure all the right wires were in place.

"The thing with these fancy fridges are that a lot of the time the wires will stay in a jumbled spot without being cleaned behind or ever really being looked at and anything can really rot them. So it'll happen occasionally. Looks like this fridge will be good to you for a while though." Pai explained and patted the brand new fridge that sat across from the old one.

"Thanks." I smiled and Pai nodded in response.

"Just be sure to give us a call every now and then so we can give it a maintenance check. Just to make sure everything is running smoothly."

"Will do," I answered, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Your number!" The younger called, hope filling his golden eyes.

I heard Pudding to the right of me mumble, "Sheesh." before Pai once again gave a smack on the top of his partners head.

"Will you give it a rest already, Kish? For crying out loud man, the woman isn't interested so cool it!" Pai hissed. The clear look of disappointment and embarrassment settled on the young man's face and I couldn't help but feel remotely sympathetic.

"It's okay. You're a very handsome young man," I smiled at Kish as he gazed at me through mossy locks, "But I'm engaged to the man who owns this home."

"So," Kish looked up more, the devious glint returning to his eye, "There's hope?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Pai threw his hands in the air and turned towards me, "Forgive me Misses Shirogane but we have work to do and I really can't afford to have my friend here fall deeper in love."

I laughed, sort of embarrassed by it all and waved before gently guiding Pudding out of the kitchen while I followed. She looked over her shoulder and cocked a blond eyebrow, "Gosh he was strange."

I shrugged my shoulders before I looked around the foyer, "Different strokes for different folks. Now," I turned at a 180 degree angle, "where's your dad?"

Pudding turned in a circle as well, "Hm. He might have gone to the grocery store in town to pick up some extra ingredients. Want to play in the backyard? I can show you this really neat koi pond that I saw last time I was here!"

I stared at Pudding for a moment before I asked, "Pudding, how old are you?"

"I turn fourteen in two months," she answered with a wide grin.

_"Was I this squirrelly at thirteen?"_ I thought then smiled and nodded, "Alright. Let's go look at the backyard."

Maybe it kind of was embarrassing to admit, but I had never gone into the backyard of Ryou Shirogane's mansion. I had lived in my room for so long, overlooking the backyard and all it's blooming glory with never once setting foot into the yard. As much as I wanted to, I always had one fear and that was the thought of getting lost. The backyard, which had every sort of exotic flower known to man blooming around every corner, was larger than three football fields put together. I often wondered, as I stared out the window at the stretch of land, if it went on forever. But there were other mansions and homes in the distance and I knew that somewhere along the line the end of the yard stopped. I just wasn't sure when or where.

Pudding, the most incautious girl I had ever met, ran straight through the yard without once glancing over her shoulder. I watched her go as she laughed, arms spread out like airplane wings, flip-flops smacking against the bottom of her feet. She twirled and twirled and twirled away from me until all I could hear was her high pitched giggle in the distance. I stood on the white painted wooden patio in the backyard, my arms crossed across my chest as I heard the laugh of the young girl while she played. I stepped foot off the small deck and my bare feet made contact with the cool itchy grass. It had been a long time since I had felt the grass beneath my toes.

Grinning, I took a few steps and gazed in awe at the plants around me. Flax and buckwheat sprouted randomly throughout the grass, near small bushes with Delilah's. Vines curled up the fence that outlined the yard and large trees loomed about, making it difficult to navigate through just one part of the yard. I had to zigzag my way through the trees, which I realized as I walked through, acted like a path through the yard. Small white wooden benches with aging wrought-iron were placed neatly between trees, adding charm to the large backyard. A bird called from a tree above me and as I turned to look up at the animal, I realized it was my new little monkey friend sitting up in the tree.

"Pudding." I stared up at her and she waved from the branch.

"Want to come up?" she asked, her legs swinging care free.

"Uh," I could only stare.

"Don't be such a spoil sport Miss 'Imma gonna marry some rich-o stinky man!'" She giggled and made a face. My cheeks reddened and I laughed, "Oh you're gonna get it now! No one makes fun of my fiancé but me!"

I pressed myself to the trunk of the tree and reached for the lowest branch. Once I had a good grip, I pulled myself up, my feet scraping the bark of the trunk as I used them to walk up. As soon as I was on the lowest branch, I reached for the next and the next and eased my way to the branch below Pudding. She giggled as she looked down at me and I stood up, cautious of the lack of space around me. From where I stood, I could see a good distance away. Much to my surprise I could see that Ryou's yard ended a lot shorter than I thought. The backyard to his neighbor behind him met ours and actually stretched out a lot further.

I sighed and rested my hands on my hips, "That was a nice climb."

"Aren't you going to get me?" My friend asked.

I looked up at her and laughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot mid climb."

"You looked like you forgot when you slipped on the second branch." She teased, leaning forward.

"Oh now you're really gonna get it." I smiled, "I climbed a ton of branches to get this far."

"Ichigo if you fell from this tree, I doubt you'd even sprain your ankle." She rolled her pretty brown eyes.

I snorted and looked down. So maybe we weren't as high up as I liked us to believe but it was still a good distance up. I looked out across the yard and saw through the trees the back door to the patio open. Ryou stepped out and placed his hands on his waist. He squinted and I waved, hoping he could see us in the trees. Figuring he must have, he stepped down from the patio and made his way through the maze of trees to join us.

Once underneath our tree, he gazed up and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Playing." I answered and nodded to the young girl above me who waved in response.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Care to join us?"

"No thanks, Strawberry. I've got better things to do." He looked away and out across the yard, "I'm trying to figure out why my files are open in my office."

_"Oh that was just me. I was looking for the answers to why you're marrying me besides an arranged marriage. You don't mind right? In fact maybe you can just spill right now why you're going along with this marriage anyways. That'd be awesome to know, thanks."_ was what I wanted to say but rather I just shrugged my shoulders, shot Pudding a look, and said, "Oh that's strange. Maybe you forgot to shut them on your way out?"

"Maybe." he scratched the top of his head and looked back up at me, "Anyways, her father is here and Keiichiro just came home from wherever he went so maybe you should consider wrapping this up."

I made a face and answered, "You're such a sour puss, how did I ever get talked into marrying you? You wont even climb this stupid tree for the sake of fun."

He glared, "Fun? Everything we do is fun."

"My idea of fun right now is sitting in this tree." I said and started the process of easing myself carefully down onto the tree branch.

"You're going to fall and break your leg then we'll have more things to worry about. Just stop trying to rebel against my system and come down. You too, Pudding." He crossed his arms.

"You know what?," I paused once I was down on the tree branch, "Come and get me down."

"I'm not going to-."

"Please." I finished, interrupting whatever he was going to say. I stared down at him, feeling my red hair brush off my shoulders. With my feet bare and my long legs swinging back and forth, I managed to flash a smile of deviancy at my fiancé. He crossed his arms and after a moment, smirked.

"Suit yourself," he sighed and reached for the first branch to the tree, "But I have to warn you." I could almost hear the smugness in his voice, "I'm a pro tree climber. And I wont go easy on you once I catch you."

With one hop, Ryou managed to jump and heave himself onto the branch. I heard Pudding squeal with delight from above me and I glanced up at her as she started to scramble to her feet. I turned to look back down at my future husband only to realize that he was getting really close, really fast. He took a second to wipe the dirt on his palms onto his jeans but his hands immediately flew to the next branch and again with another hop, he was on it, using his legs and knees to get a better bearing.

I stared in awe for a second but quickly wobbled to a stance on the tree branch to start my getaway. I took ten times longer to crawl from branch to branch and once I had moved myself to the other side of the trunk, which was a lot harder than it probably looked, he was practically next to me, the trunk of the tree separating us.

He looked at me then smirked and lifted one blond eyebrow, "You're done for."

"Funny," I said sarcastically.

"Give up?" he was standing on a branch, supporting himself by holding onto the side of the trunk. I sat on the branch and looked down at the ground.

"No." I stuck out my tongue and started the process of scooting my way down to the branch beneath me. He gave me a head start, I realized as I clung to the branch beneath me for dear life. I could feel the dust and dead leaves on my bare shoulders and hair from our constant shaking of the tree as we violated it's branches but I decided to ignore it and keep moving.

"You're nuts!" Pudding shouted from the very top of the tree, where she had taken refuge the entire time, "He's going to get you and you just keep going! You are totally nuts."

"You're next." Ryou pointed to her as he scooted along the trunk to my side of the tree.

I kept going, occasionally looking up over my shoulder at how close Ryou was. He may have been a pro at getting up in trees but he was just as bad as me at climbing down. As soon as I had made my way to the closest branch to the ground, I hopped off and landed like a cat on the earth with a _thud._ Hands and knees in dirt, I sat up and looked up again. Ryou was not far from the first branch and as I wobbled to a stance, he jumped from whatever branch he was on to the ground. Now, I had never been amazing at climbing trees or rocks or whatever for that matter but I had always been a pretty good runner. As clumsy as I was, I could go pretty far, pretty fast. So with my 'pretty good' speed, I twirled away from Ryou and sped off into the yard.

I couldn't help the laugh that came afterwards as I ran past trees and danced my way around flowers, bushes, and rocks. Eventually though I slowed down and to my great dismay, Ryou hadn't. I didn't even realize until I started the uneasy gallop to a stop run that he had been behind me the entire time. But he was and with a few long strides as I came to a stop, he grabbed me. My breath escaped my lips in a gasp as we toppled to the grassy floor.

I laughed, regardless of how messy I knew we looked and rolled over onto my back to stare at the clear blue sky. Ryou pinned me down, one hand on my wrist while the other helped support him up so he could stare me. His grin was ambiguous and I couldn't help but giggle as he said, "I think I won fair and square and I said I wouldn't go easy on you."

His lips crashed into mine less than a second later and my eyes fluttered shut as the warm sensation took over. With my free arm, I wrapped it around his neck, bringing him closer. His arm moved from my wrist to behind my back and I felt him press me closer. His lips moved gingerly against mine and I followed, tilting my head to the side. My nose brushed against his as our lips moved in sync. I felt his arm move up my back as I pulled away slightly, only to return back. His tongue brushed my bottom lip and I parted my lips in response to welcome him in. His tongue slipped past my lips and into my mouth and he ran his tongue underneath my top lip.

I felt dizzy, more dizzy than I had ever felt in my life. Everything was in a fog and I could not help but enjoy it all. My fingers tangled and untangled in Ryou's blond hair as my body reacted in ways I couldn't explain. I felt myself subconsciously press harder against Ryou, almost until I was leaning on him, me leading the way. I felt my tongue against his as he explored my mouth and a silent whimper escaped my lips. His lips left mine and we both stopped to gasp in air.

Then the sound of foot steps interrupted our quiet moment and Pudding came running up to where Ryou and I lay intertwined on the ground, "You freaks are sick!"

My cheeks blazed red and Ryou slowly sat up, bringing me with him. He stared at Pudding in confusion as she stood above us, fists rolled into balls, cheeks puffed and pink. I thought she was referring to our kiss but as she started wailing it didn't sound like that.

"Leaving a little girl up in a tree while you run off! How could you! I was sitting there, waiting for someone to come and 'get me' too but no one even did. And here you two are just laying in the grass, staring at the sky like it's all hunky-dory! Well it's _not_! And you will definitely be hearing from my attorney."

Ryou stood up and took my hand, helping me up. I watched him pat the top of Pudding's head even though she was almost as tall as me and walk away, "When you're older Pudding, you'll understand."

I watched him go, not entirely sure how to react but he looked over his shoulder back at me and winked. I grinned, feeling my cheeks burn before Pudding looked at me and with narrowed eyes asked, "What the heck is wrong with that guy? I can't believe my dad cooks for him and you're marrying him!"

"Yeah," I said and crossed my arms, "me neither."

It had been a few days since the day I had met Pudding but I knew she would be back because she consistently sent me text messages of how she was going to be coming over to TP the mansion. I wasn't sure why but she thought it was funny since she also enjoyed calling me to leave voice mails of just her laughing on the other end. I couldn't tell if she was just joking around or starting to be creepy. Either way, I just ignored it and figured I'd enjoy her playful company whenever she decided to arrive.

Lettuce sat with me in my room after she had returned from her funeral in another town and relaxed awkwardly in the tub chair in the corner of my room. I sat crossed leg on my bed while Keiichiro paraded in a rack of bridesmaid dresses. He followed in after the rack, a strand of measuring tape dangled from his shoulders while his small glasses sat delicately on the tip of his nose. My eyes fell from Keiichiro to the rack of dresses and I smiled, rubbing my hands together eagerly.

"Alright this is gonna be awesome!" I threw my hands in the air, "I've always loved this part of the wedding."

Keiichiro smiled, looked at the clipboard in his hand and said, "So I got your list of bridesmaids here. You have four?"

"Yep." I smiled back.

He mumbled under his breath the name of the two of my friends from high school then grinned again, "O_oh!_ Lettuce love, you're on here too."

"I-I am?" Lettuce stammered and her cheeks turned a shade of pink in surprise.

"Yeah," I smiled at my friend, "if you don't mind."

"Of course not!" She stood up from her chair and looked quickly to Keiichiro then I and said, "I'd love to!"

"Cool," I smiled brightly at Keiichiro who raised his eyebrows as he grinned and looked back down at the list.

"Mint as well?" He eyed me and I shrugged. It was never that I disliked Mint, in fact I liked her a lot and we talked a lot more than what everyone thought. Sure she was stuck up and stubborn and usually an all around jerk but she was sweet and funny and cute when she wanted to be and every now and then I enjoyed that. So I chose Mint as one of my bridesmaids even though I knew she might not accept.

"Oh well," Keiichiro turned to the rack of dresses, "let me show you what we got. I decided to keep everything close to the color scheme of the wedding, which will no longer be a secret like I hoped but whatever. This wedding is in a few months and we need everything ready now."

He pulled out the first dress, "Well?"

The dress, to put it plainly, was short. Short as in up to mid-thigh. Too high, I thought, for my wedding. I frowned and shook my head, "Next."

Keiichiro's eyes hid slight disappointment at how quick I was to shoot down his dress. He bit back whatever he was going to say, mumbled an, 'alright' and went to hunt down the dress next in line. This routine followed for hours until Lettuce had dozed off in the chair and there was a 'like' and 'dislike' side to the rack. All of the dresses I liked, Keiichiro despised and all of the dressed I disliked, Keiichiro had some sort of explanation to why it would fit in with the wedding.

"This dress," he held a dress from the 'dislike' side of the rack, "is color coordinated perfect with your dress and it does not stand you up."

The dress he was talking about was a soft pink and hung a little past the ankles. There was a thin white trim underneath the bosom that all in all, made it a very nice dress but I disliked its length. My top lip curled as I tried my best to convey how much I did not want that dress on my friends. Keiichiro hung the dress up angrily, the rack shaking as he practically threw the dress at it. I held in my giggle. I knew Keiichiro was getting frustrated but I had the dress I liked for my bridesmaids already set from the beginning.

"Keiichiro I like that fourth dress you showed me," I sighed.

"The strapless one? Look we've gone over this a hundred times."

"It doesn't color coordinate. I get it, I don't care about the colors. I like that style. It's pretty." I stood up from my bed and went to look at the dress on the 'like' side. Keiichiro took a step back and leaned against my bed, arms crossed as I took the dress and danced it over my shoulder. It was cut a little above the knee with a nice flowing skirt. The top of the dress was a stretch ruffle and also had a small bit of trim underneath the bosom like most of the other dresses. Unfortunately it was a deep blue with white trim and only came in every other color but the colors that Keiichiro needed.

I wasn't sure why Keiichiro had placed it on the rack in the first place and he didn't know either. He said it must've been an accident but I couldn't help but be attracted to the dress. I hung the dress on top of the others and pointed to the top of the dress right before it hit the trim, "Let's dye this pink."

Keiichiro lifted an eyebrow, "What?"

"Can we? If it's pink right before it hits the trim, will it work?" I asked.

Keiichiro hummed and scratched his chin as he thought about what I had suggested. After he gazed the dress up and down, he shrugged, "I guess a two tone dress could work. With different colored skirts to match your bridesmaids we could make it happen."

I sighed with satisfaction, "So we're all set?"

"Let's do it." Keiichiro said as he hung the dress on the side of the rack and went to start cleaning up our mess. I had been meaning to pick Keiichiro's brain about a few things that related to my arranged marriage to Ryou but I hadn't had the chance until then. Picking up a few dresses that had fallen off the rack into heaps and piles on the floor, I started, "I have a question, Keiichiro."

He looked at me as he arranged the spaghetti straps to a dress over the hooks of a hanger, "What's up, Miss Momomiya?"

I glanced at Lettuce, who sat with her head tilted back against the wall, her mouth wide open as she slept. I figured she couldn't hear me and hung a dress up on the rack, "I guess I might as well get to the point," I paused, "I don't understand why Ryou wants to go through with this arranged marriage. I've been meaning to ask for a while and only now have I found enough courage to ask you."

"What changed that you couldn't ask before?" he was dancing around the question but I ignored it and continued to casually hang a dress on a hanger.

"I dunno." I answered, "But I'd like to know if you know anything Keiichiro." I looked at my friend. Keiichiro grinned in response and hung the last dress on the rack. He placed his hand on the rack and angled it out my bedroom door.

"Well, let me guarantee you something Ichigo, Ryou cares for you very much. And that's all that matters now." He said with a nod and started to push the rack out the door, "If he didn't even remotely like you, then he wouldn't consistently bug you or maybe want to make out with you in the hall way or backyard or wherever." His lips twisted into a very smug expression. My cheeks immediately gathered heat in my raw embarrassment and I realized that the last time I had kissed Ryou was when we were in the backyard. Half humiliated at the fact that we were caught, probably by Keiichiro glancing out his bedroom window, I pressed my hands to my cheeks.

"Oh gosh! Keiichiro!" I cried and he chuckled as he pushed the rack into the hallway. After a second when I expected him to say more, he didn't and had disappeared into the hallway. I rubbed my shoulders and looked at Lettuce who continued to snooze away. I turned away from her and looked around my room.

_"I have to know now."_ I thought. It wasn't enough for Keiichiro to tell me to just forget it, I had to know what they were hiding. I had to know the secret that everyone wanted to know. I was certain that if I married Ryou on a foundation of lies, everything would end horribly. I could no longer just marry him because my parents had an arrangement and I needed some financial stability, I was too far into it with Ryou. My feeling were too deep. I was falling in love with him each day.

I chewed the inside of my cheek and let my eyes fall to the windows across the room. Somehow, someway I was going to find out everything. I had to know it all before he broke my heart. I turned away from the window and glanced back at Lettuce.

And I knew just how to start.

_...To be continued...

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_

A/N: So Ichigo realizes how deep she is with Ryou and the battle begins! And _finally _the appearance of Pudding. As for Kish and Pai, they will not be playing huge roles. That was their fifteen minutes of fame. I had to get them in there somehow. :P Maybe Tart someday too. Haha!

Now for all of you who read my little author notes here (hello! :3) I'm just going to give warning that next chapter, we're probably going to skip ahead almost a month. I'm getting closer to starting class and updating is going to get more miserable so we need to start wrapping this up! :D Alright folks, that's it for this chapter. You know the drill. See you soon, Kristen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning: Adult-ish activity at the ending. Beware. Skip after the key words, 'Gave Up' if you don't or can't read.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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_…Ryou's POV… _

I glanced up from my blue lit computer screen to meet the deep brown eyes staring across the room at me. She stood there, hands folded in front of her, in a white summer dress and yellow flowers braided in her long, wavy crimson hair. She took a step into the office and tilted her head softly to the side before she spoke, loose flowers raining onto the hardwood floor. I could only stare as she stood breathing in my office. Her pink lips parted and she started to speak but then shut her mouth with a sigh. After moments of silence, I finally heaved a huff of air and leaned back in my chair, "Yes?"

"Are you ever going to speak to me again?" she asked and her fingers unfolded from one another, parting so that her arms fell to her sides.

"Perhaps," I answered and let my gaze linger on her for another moment before I returned to my computer screen. She took another few steps forward, the soft _pat-pat_ of her feet on the floor echoed quietly in the room. She stood in front of my desk and took the seat across from me although I did not offer it to her. She sighed, long and sad and said, "I said I was sorry. I apologized to you, Ryou. I really don't know what I can do to make this better."

"You can start by leaving," I answered. It was not the answer I wanted to give her and it made the tightening in my heart only squeeze tighter. I heard her draw a sharp breath and I couldn't help but look up. Of course I instantly regretted it by the look on her face. I could tell she was on the verge of tears but she swallowed them back and stood up from the chair.

"Fine," she looked at the floor, "Fine. Fine. Okay. I'll leave."

"Just my office." I quickly corrected and her face seemed to ease with relief. Her hands returned back in front of her and she nodded as she turned to walk out of the office. I watched her go until she was at the doorway and she stopped. Whirling around to face me, she shook her head, which caused more yellow flowers to escape her hair and float gently to the floor, "No." she said and walked back into the office.

"No, Ryou, we are going to talk about this now. It's been three days. I don't feel like I did anything wrong!" She threw her hands out in front of her, palms facing towards the ceiling, as if she were offering me something I had to take.

"I don't want to talk about it." I answered.

"Well I do. And apart of being married is making sacrifices and we are going to take this step and work this out together." She moved the chair she had previously sat in to the side and slammed her hands against the smooth top of my desk for emphasis. I felt the desk give a shake and I glanced from her face, pink-cheeked and teary-eyes, to her hands where they rested flat on the surface, fingers spread apart.

I stood from my chair, "I'm not _ready_ to work this out." I replied.

"Then," she started, low and angry, "_get_ ready."

"Ichigo what you did was unforgivable-"

"Unforgivable!" she laughed but it contained no humor, "Ryou, remember for just a minute what actually happened. Where we were, who did what, and how it ended. Can you think back three days ago and _actually_ say what I did was unforgivable without remembering that it wasn't at all my fault?"

I could remember three days ago as clear as day. Despite my fiancées lack of confidence in my memory, I remembered exactly what happened and when it happened and how it happened...

… A moment of silence swept over us as we stared straight ahead at Elsa in her skirt suit. Red, the color of power, was her favorite color to wear although it paled her already fair skin. Her short, sharp angled blond bob was like a halo of light around her head. Her eyes, as black as her soul (probably at least) were hidden behind a pair of thin, brown wired framed glasses and she adjusted them on the bridge of her nose often as she spoke. Reading from a sheet of paper, she walked back and forth in front of us, only pausing briefly to breath between her strewn together words.

"...And so on we will bring the ladies into the room and they will stand at the alter after," she paused again this time but it was to read an unfamiliar name on the sheet of paper. Lifting her glasses to peer down at the words as if to make sure she was reading them right, she rolled her eyes and continued on, "_Pudding_ has fulfilled her job as flower girl. Honestly Ichigo, _Pudding_?"

Elsa dropped the paper from in front of her face to shoot an annoyed glance at my fiancée. Ichigo, apparently used to the abuse our wedding planner had put her through, gave a shrug and said, "She's the youngest girl I know who could play that part."

"Play? _Play?_ Another thing about your callow behavior Ichigo is that you do not take the role of the bride seriously. I am consistently wasting my time here and yet I continuously abide by the rules and return just to continue stringing through your _ridiculously _childish escapades." Elsa ranted and tossed her hands in the air, the throng of wire bracelets clattered against her wrists as they fell down her arms.

Ichigo looked amused, something I was not at all expecting, and shook her head in response to Elsa, "You're such an awesome wedding planner."

Elsa, clearly smug from this compliment, rubbed her nails on the chest of her suit, polishing them until she brought her hand right under her nose to take a gander at her handy work (no pun intended). Seeming satisfied with the sheen of her nails, she smiled and said, "You're absolutely right. Now shall we continue?"

Elsa's voice droned and I heaved a sigh of boredom as she spoke of other things we needed to prepare or go over for before the wedding a few months away. For the most part, from what I had gathered from listening, we were done. It was little things-lady things-that really needed to be touched base with. Ichigo nodded and asked questions and said things that made Elsa every now and then go back on one of her miniature tirades. The woman had a short temper that Ichigo easily set off.

I had managed to zone off into another world after a few minutes and picked up little things now and then as Elsa and Ichigo spoke. When I thought I might start dozing off, Ichigo elbowed me and I looked up to see an unimpressed, annoyed, usual look on Elsa's face. "Well?" she hummed and I looked around the living room until I met the eyes of the red head next to me who stared with the tilt of her head.

"Yes...?" I answered as I sat up straight on the couch and returned my gaze to Elsa. She sighed and turned away from Ichigo and I to rub above her brow line, as if she were nursing an oncoming headache. Keiichiro had mentioned that Elsa was a retired wedding planner that had gotten mad, amazing reviews back in her day. Unfortunately I had a hard time believing him whenever she lost her patience with Ichigo and I. At first I never understood why Ichigo constantly begged Keiichiro to accompany her to the trip to Elsa's. But over time as I was forced more often to sit in Elsa's office down town, I got what she was talking about. Elsa had a knack for getting angry rather quickly and explaining how she was right about everything in anything. Whenever Keiichiro joined us, she seemed to calm down and less frequently freaked out about the smallest things. Ichigo after a period of time stopped requesting Keiichiro to go with her every couple of day's to Elsa's. I figured she must've found a way to either ignore it or just not take it personal.

"Ryou Shirogane. Every time we meet, your mind seems to be elsewhere. Mind letting us know what is so much more important right now than listening to what we have to say?" Elsa lifted one dark blond eyebrow.

"Nothing." I answered and nodded, urging her to continue, "Go on."

"Then it's agreed that next weekend we will have the fitting." Elsa looked smug for a second, "After the fitting, we'll have the correct sizes sent to my office and a week before the actual wedding we will return here and have another fitting. Just to make sure there are no last minute size changes that have to be tailored."

"A fitting?" I mumbled and Ichigo looked at me. Elsa bid us farewell and Ichigo stood to escort her out of the house. I sat on the couch a moment, wondering what I had missed that entire time Elsa was talking to us. I had been to a fitting once for my senior prom in high school when Keiichiro had dragged me into a suit shop so I could stand in front the mirror while the tailor took my measurements for a tux. But besides that I had never been fitted for anything. Keiichiro took care of mostly everything anyways.

Ichigo returned after a few minutes and stepped into the room slowly, leaning against the door frame to the living room. She was clearly chewing the inside of her cheek for whatever reason before she spoke. I watched her linger where she stood, long red hair brushing over her pale shoulders as she listed. I managed to flash a grin and ask, "Is she gone or am I going to expect to find her watching me sleep tonight?"

She sighed, annoyed and long. I was curious for a minute if maybe that was something she had picked up from our wedding planner. She rolled her chocolate colored eyes and asked, "So did you hear her?"

"How could I not?" I answered and let my arm rest against the head of the couch. She seemed to ignore my response and became distracted with a strand of hair. Brushing the ends of her hair against her rosy stained cheeks, she replied, "She was really irritated with you."

"How is that?" I wondered aloud despite the fact that I had an idea of why.

Ichigo's eyes flickered to meet mine across the room and she sighed again, dropping her hands from her hair as she moved across the room, "Oh please Ryou," she flopped on the opposite end of the couch, instantly coiling her long legs to the cushions, "you know she thinks you don't take this seriously. No one thinks you do. Not even Keiichiro thinks you do."

"Do you think I do?" I stared ahead at the green, flower printed wallpaper that always made me feel like I was taken back beyond my years. Ichigo didn't say anything but instead moved her legs so she was sitting on them Indian-style. She hunched forward, playing with the ends of her toes and I could tell she was using it as a diversion to answer my question.

"Ichigo." I lifted and eyebrow and she leaned back against the couch.

"Well yeah, Ryou. Sometimes." She answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ichigo you know I've been better." I couldn't help but defend myself. Really, for someone like me who had gone from wanting nothing to do with my fiancée, the idea of getting married, and of course a wedding, I thought I was doing a smashing job. Ichigo, however, seemed less than impressed with my answer and rubbed her shoulder before she shrugged again, this time getting up from the couch as she did so.

"Yeah, yeah you are. Look though," she twisted so she was walking backwards while still facing me, "I can't make it to this fitting this weekend though."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Why is that?"

She rolled her eyes nonchalantly as she rambled on for a minute about this, that, and the next thing. Most of what she was saying made really no sense while she waved her hands in the air and spoke. Finally she slowed down and I got the gist of what she was talking about, "I'm going to tell Masaya that you're not my brother and end this stupid masquerade. I mean it's been almost three months now and I've been ignoring him because I feel awful about lying and not telling the truth that you're my fiancé. So I've been planning on doing this for a while and this weekend is my big day. I mean," she paused to look down at her feet, "he's my friend and I miss his _friendship_ and it would be really cool if he could come to our wedding." she looked up shyly from her feet to meet my expression. She squinted and I wasn't sure if it was because she was waiting for me to blow up or because she wasn't even sure if she liked the idea herself.

I managed to shrug, trying to slowly come to terms with apparently my conflicted feelings under a mask, and said, "Sounds good to me."

Ichigo's face instantly relaxed but I wasn't about done with trying to stop her, "But what about Elsa? She's going to be livid with you." I pointed out while I hid my smug grin. My fiancées eyes narrowed before _she_ looked smug and cocked a deep red eyebrow.

"Ryou," she shook her head, "you really weren't listening very well were you? Elsa brought that up. I looked at you and you said, 'yes.' I just wanted to run by you exactly what I was doing. I didn't want you to be mad or anything on my reason's for skipping out." she laughed, something that was forced and conveyed her annoyance with me. I mentally slapped my forehead for not thinking or listening through the entire conversation with Elsa.

Ichigo cleared her throat and fixed the pink tank top so it didn't ride so far up and expose her naval, "Besides, I would be in a different room anyways during the fitting. It's not like you can see the bride in her dress before the wedding." She smiled with again another lift of her eyebrow and pranced out of the room...

...That weekend came sooner than expected and although I had attempted to convince Ichigo out of meeting with Masaya, it had failed, on several attempts. I made up lies about Elsa requesting she meet us at the fitting. I told her that I wanted her to have an opinion about my tux. I offered to go with her to break the news to her friend. I played sick. I made my chefs daughter, Pudding play sick (which was a _terrible_ idea). In the end she always had a different answer that usually was a laugh or of reasonable means.

I sat on her computer chair in her room and twisted back and forth, letting the cream colored rug brush against the bottom of my bare feet. The white framed, French doors to her bathroom swung open as Ichigo came out, rubbing chap stick along her bottom lip. I shot her a look but managed to mask it with a simple lift of my eyebrow. She looked nice for someone who was going to be telling their friend the truth about their marital status and I had to force myself to swallow the envy that came up like bile in my throat. She looked at me, long hair pulled up into a curly ponytail and sighed rather loudly.

She wore a knitted red sweater with a frilly, yellow shirt underneath and a pair of dark denim jeans. After I took a minute to admire her, she placed her palm on her hip and asked, "What?"

"You look nice." I mumbled with a grin and leaned back in the computer chair, resting my arms behind my head. The day after Keiichiro and her had picked out the bridesmaid dresses, she had picked up a bit of an attitude that she nonchalantly threw out here and there. She had always had a bit of a snap since we had met but as of recently, it had more of a bite. However, she never failed to flush at compliments and her cheeks reddened before she turned away to sit on the chaise at the end of her bed.

She didn't say anything but instead slipped on a pair of brown sandals. I spun in the chair and watched as the world around me turned to a blur before I stopped and looked across the room at her. She smiled, looking down at her feet and looked back up, her lips parting as she began to say something. Before the words could form on the tips of her lips, the door to her room fluttered open quickly and in paraded my dark haired, financial advisor.

"Good morning, Mint," Ichigo quickly spouted out and stood up from the chaise where she sat. Mint, who looked no more ready to try on wedding attire than I did, stumbled into the room and swiped a pale hand through her messy hair.

"Look at me," She gasped, throwing her hands down in front of her. No more than usual, she was wearing regular black work pants and a gray, short-sleeve turtleneck. Ichigo and I looked at each other as she fanned her face lazily while panting in the process.

"What's the matter?" Ichigo finally asked and Mint straightened from where she leaned on the door frame to the room.

"What is the _matter_! Ichigo, you fool, I'm deathly ill. Today is just not the day for me to be trying a dress I am already positive I will look stunning in." Mint exasperated, swooning as she took another step into the room.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, folding my arms. If there was one thing I knew about Mint, it was that she rarely ever got sick. For the purpose of her work, she made sure she was always feeling more than well and was in ship-shop-shape. She took vitamins regularly and was on a strict, no red meat diet. Everything she ate was organic and healthy and her visits to her personal doctor fluctuated with how she felt during the week. I eyeballed her from across the room and her head jolted as she turned to look at me.

"Oh Ryou, it's just," she paused, "a little cough."

Silence fell over the room and Mint cleared her throat as she added, "But a rather hoarse, mean cough that could very possibly turn to something more."

I looked at Ichigo and she looked rather taken aback, as if she weren't expecting Mint to _lie_ straight to her face to get out of trying on a bridesmaid dress. My fiancées eyes fell to the ground and she brought her hands to her chest where she nervously fumbled with the long necklace that dangled from her neck. After a minute where I exchanged a look with Mint, she sighed and said, "Oh well, if you're feeling under the weather, Mint, I guess I can always call Elsa and let her know not to expect you."

Mint sighed as well although it was more out of relief than sadness and I turned to shoot my young financial advisor another look. She quickly looked away and returned to Ichigo where she answered, "Thank you, Ichigo. I am just not feeling well at all."

"Mint," I called and nodded to the door as Ichigo sat back down on the chaise, "let's talk."

In the long stretch of hall, Mint practically skipped along the tile floor and sighed happily. She danced along the hall until we came to a stop near my office. She did a little twirl and said, "You have no idea how bad this cough is. It's just making me dance. Huh!" her pale hand fell across her forehead, "I must be hallucinating. This has to be some severe disease, Ryou." she giggled.

"Cut the crap Mint, why are you trying to get out of this fitting?" I asked and felt my eyes narrow.

"Ryou I have no idea-" she stopped once she caught my glare and quickly returned the look, "I am not going to stand in a filly pink dress while Ichigo is named Queen of the Day in a freaking fitting. It's one thing Ryou," she started to walk closer to my office, "if it is the actual wedding but this is just a _fitting _and mind you, no one looks better than Mint Aizawa any other day than a wedding. Of course I know my looks will dazzle all in just a simple bridesmaid dress but it is the only day where I will let Ichigo look nicer than me." she turned on her heel to pat my shoulders and grinned, "You understand right, Ryou? It's my pride that I have to keep. Without it than I am nothing and you don't want me to be nothing, do you Ryou? Do you?"

"You seem rather selfish to be lying to get out of a fitting." I remarked.

Mint shook her head, all seriousness in her eyes, "Oh no, no, no! This is for the sake of the world. I have to look in my finest everyday. It helps set a balance to the universe. Imagine, me, in anything but the finest. There would be earthquakes! Tornadoes! Tsunami's to say the least. And everyone would point a finger at me!" she gasped, pressing her hand to her chest, "Me, Ryou. I can't let my reputation and my work and the only thing I've ever loved and worked for crumble all in one day because in a mirror, at a fitting, Ichigo looks amazingly stunning while I could at all be considered dowdy." She sighed, "You need to understand. I'm doing the world a favor."

I sighed and crossed my arms, "Are you? Because Ichigo won't even _be there. _It's just the bridesmaids and me."

"Oh!" Mint threw her hands in the air, "Well why didn't you say so? Then I suppose we could carpool. I'll let your driver take me so we can save the world a little bit at a time." she smiled.

I stared at Mint and knew she was serious about it all. She honestly believed she was doing everyone some sort of favor by looking well dressed and groomed everyday. I had always known that Mint had been vain but never to the degree that I had just experienced. Regardless, she took a comb from her purse and began to tame her messy hair she had probably ruined while on the way here. I shook my head and allowed my voice to lower as I asked, "Why are you being her bridesmaid at all, Mint?"

She looked at me, surprised as the comb glided effortlessly through her dark sapphire hair. After a second, her amber eyes fell to the hallway floor and she stopped, letting her arms drop to the side. She looked back up at me and did something I never expected her to reply with.

She shrugged.

Mint Aizawa, who had an answer for everything, who would have fooled you with a some random, ridiculous made up answer and probably believed it herself, twisted her mouth to the side and shrugged. I stared at her, expecting some sort of response, for her to tell me that it was her duty to serve as a bridesmaid, that she only wanted to do Ichigo a favor, that she wanted to do me a favor, but she only brought the comb back to her dark hair and brushed the teeth through her locks again until her hair was wavy and smooth...

… I had to admit, in all my vanity and glory, I looked damn fine in a a black, slim tux. The sheen of my hair, the color of my skin, the blue of my eyes; everything seemed to look better in the tuxedo Elsa slipped me into. I adjusted the jacket and turned to the side in the wall of mirrors. I had never been the one to strike a pose and enjoy the features of my face and body but as I brought my hand to my chin, I couldn't help the words that poured naturally from my mouth, "I am a handsome devil." I purred and lifted a dark blond eyebrow.

There was silence, as if I were expecting to hear Ichigo's snicker or Keiichiro's head to pop in and agree with a sarcastic laugh but there was nothing. This only encouraged me to continue on and I lifted the other eyebrow and played the wiggle-eyebrow game in the mirror until Elsa's tapping on the door interrupted and she stuck her head in.

"Ignorance!" She called and glowered at me. I stared at her reflection in every frame of the mirrors that surrounded me. It was an instant feeling of being in a fun house, where I saw her angry face at every angle. For just a second I was afraid. More than afraid, I was terrified that it would all be real and I would exit my fitting room and there would be more than one Elsa standing behind the door. I turned around and to no great surprise was granted with the sweet relief that it was just one of her standing there.

"Ignorance?" I replied and she pushed the door open all the way to reveal the group of girls standing in the back, waiting for me to come out.

"You were supposed to put this on and then come out so the tailor could measure you." She sighed and smacked her hand to her forehead.

"Right," I answered and ignored Elsa as she rolled her eyes.

She rolled her wrist in a beckoning movement and sighed, "Just hurry it up, we have to get this over with."

"Right," I said again and nodded as she left, shutting the door behind her. I turned to look back at myself in the mirror and tugged down on the jacket one more time, adjusting it around my shoulders. Then I couldn't help as I twisted to one side and then another and flashed a brilliant smile at my reflection in the mirror. I could practically hear Ichigo's laughter in my ears.

We had left my fiancée at the entrance to Elsa's building where Pudding ran through the revolving doors, waiting for us to enter with her. Mint had explained that she was feeling better before we left and acted as if nothing happened the entire ride downtown. Ichigo seemed hardly phased by her behavior and as we stood in front of the doors, went along with the charade that it had never happened either. I looked down the sidewalk and dug my hands into the pockets of my jacket. Although it was getting close to summer, the early spring afternoon's still had a bite to them.

"You'll be fine?" I asked.

Ichigo looked over her shoulder, as if waiting to see Masaya walk out from between two buildings and turned back to me, nodding, "Yeah I'll be fine. Please Ryou," she rolled her chocolate colored eyes, "what's the worst that's going to happen?"

I shrugged as Mint started her walk inside, "He kidnaps you and holds you as his slave?" she gave me a sideways look that explained that she was less than impressed. I smiled and added, " A lot could happen. I'm just saying."

"I'll meet you here tonight?" She had turned to start walking away.

"Sure." I grinned and she returned it was a smile, before she spun around back towards me. Ichigo was never one to introduce the idea of public displays of affection but every now and then, she surprised me. Seizing the moment, for lack of a better explanation, she gave a small hop and slung her arms around the back of my neck. Leaning on the tips of her toes, she gently yet firmly pressed her lips haphazardly against mine, clumsily pressing herself closer as she leaned into the kiss. I stumbled backward from the sudden movements but easily fell into the embrace and returned the kiss as I hugged her warm body close. For just a second, I felt the world disappear before she was gone from my arms, running at full speed down the sidewalk.

I stared at my arms, still outstretched as if she were there but only invisible. I let them fall to my sides and watched her run down the sidewalk, tripping on her own feet once but then quickly regaining herself as flew to the right down another sidewalk and disappeared from my view. I turned to look at Mint and Pudding who stood awkwardly within the revolving doors, their mouths dangling open. I rolled my eyes and started towards them, pushing my way through the revolving doors only to meet in Elsa's office a few minutes later with Lettuce and Keiichiro...

..."I do not know who chose those _hideous_ bridesmaid dresses but I demand that they are to be sued!" Mint proclaimed as we left Elsa's office. I turned to look at Pudding as she followed behind Lettuce, prodding her with multiple questions as they walked. Mint looped her pale arm around mine, jabbering on as we left the building, "Honestly Ryou, Ichigo has to have _some_ taste. I've seen her put together those outfits every day and they really aren't _that_ shabby so I just don't understand why of all the dresses in the world, does she have to choose the only one that makes me look like a sow in heat."

I lifted an eyebrow as we walked through the revolving doors onto the now dark streets from the setting sun, "I think you're being too hard on yourself Mint. You looked far better than a sow in heat."

"Thank you," she didn't sound grateful and tugged my arm close as we walked out onto the sidewalk. I turned to make sure Lettuce and Pudding weren't too far away and noticed that they had fallen behind to stay in the building. I squinted and saw that Keiichiro was with them and they were talking near the revolving doors. I figured it was for Elsa or something to do with the fitting and turned back to the street in front of us. Mint did a little hop and sighed, "It's so cold. Where is the driver? I'd really love to go home and just wash away today's failure in my bathtub."

"We're waiting for Ichigo first," I answered and watched the streetlights slowly flicker on to a faded, orange dim.

"Where is she?" Mint looked down the sidewalk before she fell to a hushed whisper, "Oh Ryou! Look! There's two people approaching us! If they attack, I won't be able to claw them like usual so you'll have to handle them both on your own."

I turned to follow her gaze then paused and replied, "Mint you're the most horrible person I've ever met. The only thing you've ever clawed at is a poster of Christian Bale's chest."

She 'shh'ed me and leaned against my arm, "It looks like a man and a girl. I might be able to take on the girl but if she throws any punches-I'm sorry-I have to run away. Mint Aizawa does not punch. It could very possibly bruise and cause a blemish."

"I could very well kill you tonight, Mint." I looked down the sidewalk and bumped Mint's elbow, "How do you know they're killers and not just secret lovers going for a stroll this evening."

"Because," Mint turned to look at me then paused as if she didn't have an answer. I smirked, lifting an eyebrow as I waited for her answer. It never came and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she turned away to look back down the street at the couple. They had stopped walking and I could feel Mint ease with some relief. I had never known she was so suspicious of everyone at night. I ignored it and out of boredom, continued to watch the couple.

Mint sighed as she watched them turn towards each other, "Are they going to make out or what?"

I felt something squeeze uncomfortably within my chest and I had a sudden feeling like I hoped they didn't. It didn't take long before I realized why. They had stepped into the dim light of the light post where they stood about twenty feet away. The red hair of the the girl lit up like a red strawberry tinted orange from the light. I felt Mint pull away as she tried to peer closer and I drew in an uneasy breath.

"Is that...?" Mint's voice trailed off but I already knew who she was talking about. I swallowed and watched as the brown haired man talked animatedly. He raised his hands up, palms towards the night sky, as he spoke. Ichigo nodded and her arms folded across her chest as she listened to whatever Masaya was saying. I felt the air around me go still, as if I had lost sight of the world. The wait was excruciatingly long and I could tell Mint had fallen in with the silence as we watched.

They both went still as Masaya stopped talking and I watched Ichigo's gaze fall to the floor. They were sharing a moment of silence when Masaya's hand found its way to Ichigo's face. She looked up at him, as if questioning what he was doing, and the next part Mint had to hold onto me for. Masaya's hand trailed it's way up Ichigo's cheek and his fingers tangled into her red hair, despite that she had it held up in a ponytail still. Her brown eyes grew wide and her lips parted when Masaya leaned down and kissed her. He tilted her face into him, caressing her with such a kiss that she froze.

Mint's arm, I realized, was tight around mine and I glanced down to see that I balled my fist into the pocket of my jacket. I looked up and around and then back at Ichigo as she pulled away from Masaya, pushing him as she stumbled back. I blinked hard and noticed Mint had been looking at me.

"Ryou," her voice had fallen to a soft whisper, "I'm so sorry."

I looked back up at Ichigo as I watched her disappear into the darkness of the street. As she ran past every light post I saw her turn and look over her shoulder, as if staring straight past Masaya-who stood under the light post dazed and bewildered-to me. She never slowed each step and eventually she was gone. Like earlier, she had disappeared.

I untangled my arm from Mint's and turned towards the revolving doors, "I'm going to go call for the driver."

"But Ryou," Mint followed briskly after me, "What about Ichigo? What are you going to do? That guy just _kissed_ her!"

I felt a sudden coldness, like the evening air had picked up and was stained frozen. I shoved my other hand into my jacket pocket and shook my head. The only thought, as I looked back, that went through my mind at the time was that I needed to get home. To just get home and wash the days failure from my skin like Mint had said...

… That had been almost three days ago.

Overall I just didn't want to talk to Ichigo about what had happened that night. It crushed me to know that some other person had taken her into their arms and kissed her like they had. Every time I remembered, every time she brought it up, I recoiled into the shell I had built. It was as if the memory itself brought a punch to the gut. It wasn't worth it to me to talk about it.

She insisted we did though.

It didn't matter where we were; she brought the subject up and demanded we talk it over. 'Get it out of the way' she said. 'Clear the air' she said. But I couldn't. I was holding a grudge. I was angry. I was angry from the pit of my stomach. It was like a fire that had ignited and every single time I remembered, it grew stronger with the flames that licked and burnt my insides.

I was sad, of course. I was angry, of course. Who wouldn't be? She may have pushed him away, ran into the darkened night to flee him and the situation but I was left standing, watching, wondering, and feeling emotions I had never felt in my life. Ichigo didn't seem to understand that I had grown up, raising myself. She didn't seem to get that I never had a girlfriend. It was reasons like that in which I realized why I had never wanted to be married or involved in an intimate, romantic relationship.

I loved Ichigo, I had finally realized and came to terms with it.

But I remembered my life before her and with guilty regret, wanted it back. I suppose that was why I didn't want to talk to her about it. I didn't want her to know of the secret revelation I had. I didn't want to deal with the feeling of jealousy, of anger over her, of betrayal. I had never had to before. Ichigo coming into my life was bittersweet. I fell in love, something that I had never planned to do. I was getting married, something I never wanted to do. But I dealt with feelings I never planned or wanted to deal with as well.

It set me on a whole new track of perspective. I had a different opinion about what I wanted to do then. I looked up at Ichigo as she stood next to my desk. Spirals of wavy, sun dried hair fell to her shoulders and chest. Every strand of hair that was pulled away from her face contained tiny yellow flowers Pudding had braided in earlier that day. Her white sun dress was stained green from the grass. Her bangs framed her perfectly round, chocolate colored eyes. Every feature on her face was petite and 'cute'. I sighed thinking of what to do. For three days, I sighed, thinking of what to do. And from the second Ichigo had woken up and stood at my bedroom door, she had hounded me for three days to talk.

Without any clear distractions, I was left to face her head on. I had to stare at her. Was this the girl I was really going to let run my emotions tired and drain me until I was dry? Was this the girl I was preparing to spend every day thinking about and living with until our days came to an end? Was she really the girl I was prepared to throw all of my life before her out on? Was she really worth it in the end?

She reached out a pale hand and took mine between her fingers. I turned my attention back to her. It wasn't necessarily that I didn't believe what she did was unforgivable. I knew she didn't kiss Masaya. I was smart enough to see her reaction, evaluate it, and come to the conclusion that she was not romantically attracted to him. But I couldn't fight her back without being somewhat stubborn. I pined to hear it from her herself, not from my own made up theories. So I played the charade. I feigned knowledge. I needed to hear her tell me everything. And I was prepared to push and fight her until she fell to her knees in tears, explaining that she never, ever loved Masaya.

"I don't love Masaya. I don't even like him like that. He kissed me, I didn't kiss him. That was why I ran, because I wasn't even sure how to react." Her eyes fell to her hand where she held my fingers, "I love you, Shirogane. Even if you are a stubborn, non evaluating man, who couldn't see that I was so not interested in Masaya. I still love and want to be with you." Her brown eyes returned to mine and I felt my mouth fall. I had to admit, and I hated to admit it with every fiber of my being, she was sharp.

I let my mind fall back to my earlier thought process as I stared at her. I wanted Ichigo to be worth my energy. I wanted her to be worth every stupid emotion I had finally met. I missed my single life, I knew that. I was torn between her and what I previously had. I didn't want to worry about Ichigo and someone taking her into their arms again. But I was too deep in to not care if I found out she ever found someone new.

Ichigo looked up at me through her red bangs and thick eyelashes and watched quietly as she waited for my response. I had my options to weigh and decisions to make before I could answer her. So I looked away and planned my speech of what to say to her.

And gave up.

"Fuck it." I mumbled and grabbed her roughly. The anger that had ignited and grew in my stomach was instantly driven into the passion I had with Momomiya. My hands found their way to her temples, where I tilted her head to meet my face, and kissed her such raw, fierce vehemence that her knees grew weak and she sank against me, holding onto my arms. I wrapped an arm around to her back and her hands moved from my arms to my chest and over my shoulders. Her touch sent sparks through my shirt and after she gained bearing in her legs, I found that we were stumbling clumsily around the office, our lips moving in a feverish kiss.

We finally found consonance against the wall closest to my desk and I lifted her legs as they coiled around my waist. Her arms flew around my neck and I ran my tongue over her lips, demanding entrance to her mouth. Our tongues met and I tasted the sweetness of Ichigo's mouth. A moan gave from her throat and out of instinct my hands glided from her bare thighs to underneath her dress, up her sides and to her lower back. Our lips parted, despite that my hunger of her mouth hadn't been fed, and her head flew back against the wall as she groaned with appreciation. The fire flooded from my chest to my fingertips and every touch, every caress instantly became hot and fiery.

Her fingers rolled over my shoulders, pressing deeper into me. My lips found their way against the flesh of her neck and I drew deep and long until bruises stained the pale of her skin. The fire continued to roar and it fed its way through my body, until I found I was losing control. I pushed Ichigo against the wall, kissing from her neck to her chest, ignoring the thin fabric of her dress that separated me from her sweet skin. Every act came naturally, as if I had millions of years of experience, and I acted upon them until I was satisfied.

Ichigo drew heavy breaths, only encouraging me to continue as I kissed and nipped at her chest beneath the dress. Her fingers tangled in the locks of my hair and she trailed them to my face, where I broke away and kissed every finger on her hand, slowly and erotically. Our eyes met and they locked there until we were practically running down the hall, through the doors of my office, acting on animalistic impulses I don't think we ever had until then. I pushed the doors open to my bedroom and grabbed her again, continuing what we had started in my office except from the comfort of closed doors. And where we would draw from each other the fire that we had ignited within ourselves, burning deep within our cores. So bright and so strong that not even water could douse it.

_...to be continued...

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A/N: I know what you're thinking... Well stop! You never know what happens until the next chapter! Sorry everyone for the long wait. I had some computer problems that needed to be fixed. Unfortunately they still aren't fixed but at least I'm able to get everything up and running properly for the most part. So... I'm guesstimating about mmm three or four more chapters and then we call it done eh? Sounds good to me! :) You know the drill. See you guys next chapter.

Kristen


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